A Meeting of Wits
by Bob Suarez
Summary: Hanatarou Tanaka was living the good life: He has a nice job, he works the stock market on the side and even has a nice home. Despite all this he still feels unfulfilled until he meets Matsu, who sends his comfy life spiralling into the chaos that is the Sekirei Plan! AU, OC, citrus (don't expect too many of those scenes though).
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Hanatarou Tanaka leaned back in his chair and sighed, having finished another finance report. Being a 3-year accountant, he has become fairly used to crunching numbers for hours on-end, except he was called into over-time today by his supervisor Hirano Namikaze. Hanatarou deftly arranged the finance report, did a quick once-over to make sure he made no errors and was quickly glad he did; he found a simple error where he forgot to carry a number over and rectified his mistake. Finishing his once-over with a nod to signify his satisfaction, he tucked in the report into a manilla folder and went over to Hirano's desk to deposit it on the "completed" bin. Hinaro, who was busy on the phone with a client, put a hand over the receiver and with the slightest of smiles said, "Good work Tanaka-san. You can head out now, I've kept you working long enough. Hanatarou simply nodded and waved, taking off his coant and slinging it over his shoulder. Before he escaped his workplace, he made a quick detour to the restroom and took a leak, sighing once again but in relief.

_One hell of a day._ Hanatarou mused to himself. _I can't imagine taking anymore overtime like this next week. I'm bound to burn out!_ He shuddered a bit, imagining him absolutely fried trying to work the stock market. _A true recipe for disaster, that._ The young accountant wisely decided it would be in his best interest to leave his current investments alone. He finished his business in the restroom and left the building do bask in the mid-afternoon sun. _I'm still not used to that, working from 6pm to 2am._ Hanatarou pondered. What was to his internal clock evening was to the rest of Shinto Teito the liveliest part of the day. Hanatarou may be too exhausted to work on his own finances, but he figured he could still have a few games of Chess with the old geezers he meets every now and then at the park just down the road. As he strolled over to the crosswalk he lifted his head up and gazed at the clouds, wondering what to do for dinner. Being so submerged in his thoughts, he didn't notice a pair of figures jumping at impossible speeds and bounding inhuman distances from rooftop to rooftop. Hanatarou didn't even notice one of thos figures slipping and falling down into an alleyway and straight into an open dumpster.

Sekirei #02 Matsu's feet got caught on a ledge on that last rooftop she was attempting to leap over and wound up falling into the alleyway below. Being the brain-type she is, she threw her arms and legs out in a skydiver's stance to attempt to control her descent and aimed herself at the open dumpster right in front of her. Tucking in her arms and legs and executing a frontflip, she landed bum-first into the dumpster with an audible "Oof!" Pulling herself from the disgusting refuse, she looked up to see Sekirei #10 Uzume peering down in the alleyway, worry painted all over her beautiful features.

"Matsu! Are you ok?" The Sekirei in question had a banana peel currently slapped on her lips like a starfish and some sort of slimy substance on her palms she'd rather not know the name of, opted for an OK sign with her hands. Uzume snapped her head up to see their pursuers surveying their surroundings, having lost their prey for the moment. Uzume turned back down towards Matsu and called out, "Stay there, I'll lure them away!" Uzume rose from her kneeling position and quickly resumed her flight from the Disciplinary Squad.

Haihane caught the movement with her peripheral vision and focused on the fleeing Veiled Sekirei and called to Benitsubasa, "There she is!" and continued the chase. Thankfully, neither of them bothered to look down the alley they just bounded over to see Matsu cleaning herself off as best as she could. After #02 finished, she slid to the end of the alley and peeked her head out like a certain brown mouse would to make sure a certain blue cat wasn't in the area. Once she deemed it was safe enough, she calmly blended in to the crowd and made her way to the park across the street, hoping the trees would give her overhead cover from MBI's satellites. The bespectacled Sekirei found herself fairly deep in the park and noticed a tall birch tree next to a trio of geezers enjoying a board game and drinks and decided it would be an ideal perch for her wagtail self. Stealthily leaping up to the tree's thick limbs, she took a moment to survey her surroundings through the gaps in the foliage and noticed a young man dressed in the standard working man's outfit trudging over towards the 3 old codgers. That young man turned out to be none other than...

Hanatarou raised a hand in greeting to the three old men on their usual meeting spot while the grandpas all cried out in unison, "Hanatarou-sama!" The first coot went by the name of Kentarou. He was dressed in old work jeans, stained with soil, paint and beer, a blue shirt and with a straw hat upon his cranium like a king's crown. Kentarou rose up from his seat and embraced Hanatarou with a good-natured laugh. The second who responded to Nijima, had a similar ensemble of clothing like Kentarou's, except his shirt was teal and had a breast pocket. From the depths of said pocket, he withdrew a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and offered Hanatarou one, which he declined. The third, named Sanji brought out a bottle of green tea from their cooler and extended it towards Hanatarou, which he graciously accepted with a thank you. Sanji was sporting faded khakis and a light purple shirt, with a red and white baseball cape with a capital N on the front. Nijima spoke up once the young accountant had settled down across from him on the table while Sanji and Kentarou continued their game, "How was work, Hana-sama? We couldn't help but notice you were a tad late in joining us!"

The self-made stockbroker downed a mouthful of green tea and replied, "Rather tiring Nijima. Hirano had to ask I stay for some overtime." The three geezers voiced their outrage simultaneously, as if their baseball team had just struck out on the ninth inning. Considering their age however, it was a rather mild flavour of outrage.

"Why, that good-fer-nothin' superviser of yers, I betcha it was his work an' he didn't feel like doin' it so he just left it to ya!" Sanji grumbled while moving his rook in a position to check his opponent. Kentarou was nodding his silent agreement until he finally looked down at the board and noticed the predicament he was placed in. While the old codger across from him furrowed his brow in concentration, he continued his little rant, "Next time ya see 'im, ya make sure to give 'im a piece of yer mind fer bein' such a lazy good fer nothin'!"

Hanatarou chuckled at his weathered friend's speech, "Sanji, don't you think you're being a bit to presumptuous? It was my client's fault I ended up having to work overtime! He ended up forgetting to file some of his numbers too late." All three old coots once again opened their mouths, undoubtedly to slander said client but the sharp young man interrupted them, "He even sent me a letter personally apologizing, aaand he included a coupon to his brother's ramen place!" On cue, he brandished said coupon from the depths of his coat's pocket. "50% off my order! Guess where we're heading after I had a game, eh?" Sanji and Nijima both whooped for joy after hearing this but Kentarou had a look of skepticism.

"Now hold on just one bloody minute! Which ramen place is this?" He drawled with a squint in his beady eyes. Being a former chef at a four-star restaurant, he took food rather seriously.

Hanatarou smiled, anticipating this line of questioning, "None other than Makunouchi's place, 5 blocks down from here!" The three geezers jaws all dropped, a waterfall of drool suddenly gushing from their chins.

Nijima rose from his seat with the energy of a man 35 years younger, "Well, what are we waiting for?!" He made to run off in the direction of Makunouchi's but was stopped when Kentarou grabbed his forearm, a strong aura of energy surging from him.

"Just where do ya think yer goin' ya senile bastard?" Kentarou sneered, saying words only old friends could get away with saying towards each other. "I ain't done handing Sanji's ass back to 'im!" At this, the four men gathered simultaneously turned towards the board to see Kentarou's right hand reach out to his queen and block the advance on his king while at the same time putting Sanji in checkmate!

Nijima whistled in appreciation at the abrupt reversal of fortunes. "The best defence is a good offence. Well done Kentarou." Kentarou started to bask in the limelight of the compliments but was quickly scowled when Nijima continued, "I guess even a burnt-out old codger like yourself still has a few lucky plays in you, huh?"

Sanji took his loss in stride, knowing he was at fault for not noticing his old friend's gap in his defences was a ploy for him to let down his guard. He rose from his seat at the table and lifted a hand for Kentarou to shake in good sportsmanship. Kentarou didn't leave him hanging; they shook hands and both told the other, "Well played!" and removed themselves from their seats to stretch their weary bones.

Hanatarou played the impartial analyst while all this happened, calling his read of the board's finishing situation with his voice growing in volume with each spoken word, "So Kentarou opened a false hole in his normally stellar defensive line, lured in various power pieces of Sanji in a dangerous game of cat and mouse and struck while on the verge of losing himself! Kentarou, you sly old dog, that could've come back to bite you on the ass hard!" He grinned at the old coot in question. Sanji silently made the next play that would've won him the game, had he had that one more turn to make it. Truly a game only two players could have after knowing each other and their respective play-styles for decades.

Nijima piped up, "Can we go get some delicious ramen now! I'm hungry enough to eat a horse's ass!" Once again, the geezer rose with the energy of someone many decades younger and attempted to run down towards Makunouchi's place, but history repeated itself and he was stopped, this time by Hanatarou, a surge of energy similar to Kentarou's emitting from the young accountant.

"Now you're getting ahead of yourself again, you senile bastard. I still haven't had my game, and there's no way in hell we're gonna go until I've had my fun beating on the elderly!" Hanatarou verbally jabbed at Nijima, already attempting to maneuver himself into a victory by provoking the older man's temper to off-set his game.

Of course, Nijima didn't get to his ripe old age on his rather average looks alone and was quick to catch on to the younger fox's game. He deigned not to dignify Hanatarou's verbal thrust with a response, instead opting to reset the board in preparation for the clash of minds about to take place. Sanji and Kentarou both stood on the sidelines, tired from sitting and each grabbed a fresh drink from the cooler to refresh their dry throats. Both uninvolved geezers gazed down with practiced eyes at the prepared board with the two players of Hanatarou as the black pieces and Nijima as the white and awaited for the figurative bloodbath to begin.

Hanatarou realized his early attempt to rile up Nijima was fruitless and instead decided to let his gameplay do the talking. He opened his arms, saying without words, "Your move." Unbeknownst to the four men, they had a fifth pair of eyes watching their sport from a bird's eye view.

**45 minutes later**

Since the start of the match, Matsu's eyes hadn't left the board. In hindsight, that wasn't the wisest course of action; she was a wanted fugitive being hunted by MBI and their dogs, the Disciplinary Squad had ways of finding their prey. #02 couldn't help it though. She was treated to one hell of a show by the young man underneath her. His cold and calculating attitude was a tank, unyielding and merciless in it's march towards the inevitable conclusion of this mock-war. Her focus on Hanatarou's exemplary gameplay isn't to be interpreted as Nijima lacking skill. The weathered old coot kept the young accountant on his toes, forcing him to make sacrifices or even straight up lose pieces at no cost to himself, much like any seasoned general would. But Nijima's defenses and counter-offenses wouldn't be enough in light of the onslaught unleashed by Hanatarou's precise placement of his forces and Nijima wound up defeated.

Once the bright stockbroker hammered the final nail in the coffin of Nijima's king, the weary old man raised his hands in surrender and huffed out, "Well that's that. Got my ass handed to me by someone old enough to be my grandson, shame on me." He shook his head in disbelief, a cynical laugh escaping his weathered lips.

Hanatarou leaned back and let out the breath he was holding. After finishing his bottle of green tea, he spoke up, "Don't sell yourself short now Nijima. When you sent your bishop to take my knight and put me in check at the same time, I was afraid you were about to go on a killing spree through my forces. And you would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for my meddling rook." The squad of men all erupted in laughter, recognizing where Hanatarou stole that last line from.

Sanji piped up from the sidelines, "Mind if we get going, Hana-sama? It's been a while since we sat down and enjoyed a good bowl of ramen, ya know?"

Hanatarou nodded and rose from his seat, extending a hand in good sportsmanship towards Nijima. Nijima took the offered appendage and both uttered, "Well played!" and prepared to leave for Makunouchi's ramen stand. The unseen spy on the previous game watched Hanatarou stroll away with his posse. _What an interesting human. _Matsu pondered. _His strategy was sound and his tactics were very flexible. His mind, despite his young age is kept to a very keen edge. I can't help but wonder what else he practices~ _#02's perverted nature taking over as she chuckled with a blush. Matsu ceased her cackling immediately and raised her hands to her face, feeling the heat in her cheeks. "No way... I'm reacting?" she whispers to herself.

After treating himself and his chessmates to ramen, Hanatarou bid warewell to the old coots and head off towards his home. As he entered the keypad combination to his locked gate, he gazed up at his two-story home and shook his head. "Why did I get the six-bedroom three-bathroom complex again?" He muttered to himself. Hanatarou just shook his head once again and made his way to the front door, keys in hand. "I'm home!...Not like anyone else even lives here." He called out to himself. He hung his coat on the rack by the door and slid his shoes into a basket at the mouth of the hallway leading to the various rooms in his home. The young accountant trudged towards the kitchen, dropping his briefcase on one of the four chairs surrounding his table and waltzed over to the fridge to pour himself a glass of grapefruit juice. He chugged down the juice quickly and started stripping on the way to his bathroom for a shower, keeping all the clothes he wormed out of slung over his shoulder so he could deposit them in his laundry basket. As he bathed himself, he started to reflect upon his life. _Working as an accountant and managing stocks on the side, no real close friends beside that trio of old codgers and no girlfriend...am I really ok with that? _He asked himself, as if expecting a voice in his head other than his own to answer. Of course, none responded to his inquiry. _ I mean, it's not like I have a BAD life. I already own the house, I've got more than enough finances to keep me afloat for a year, I'm healthy. It's just...something's missing. Something to fill the void of extra time I've got and I just don't know what. What could it be?_ The unhappy young man shook his head at his own mental question. He's been asking himself the same question for a year and a half. A small part of him wants to give up his pursuit of happiness and just go with the flow; it's not like he really needed to go out of his way to fill the gap in his life, it wasn't really impeding him from his routine. He was self-disciplined enough to keep on keeping on. After thinking that, another part of him started to boil up to the surface. Give up? That just went against his nature.

Hanatarou decided he'd be better off resting than thinking about his existential crisis right now. Finishing up his shower and drying himself off, he left the bathroom and went to his room to change into his nightly wear of a muscle shirt and basketball shorts. He shambled down to the living room, forgetting his earlier decision to think about it in the morning, completely oblivious to the fact someone was seated in his kitchen, enjoying a snack.

A/N: Apparantly didn't like my previous fix and deigned to have me do that re-write after all! I kept for the most part true to the first chapter, just added a tad more of "me" into it now that I'm getting more in the swing of things. I would've gotten this out to you on the same day I "fixed" chapter 1's spacing last Saturday, but life happened. Unfortunately, this kept my fourth and so far largest chapter from coming out and since I've got uni stuff to do all week, I'm going to be hard-pressed to add the finishing touches on that chapter. Worry not my readers, as I'm writing this, it is at I'd say three-fourths the way there so the wait won't be much longer. Feel free to leave me your constructive criticisms in a review or PM me about them if you so wish, and most importantly, I hope you enjoy my little tale here. Until next time, this is B. Suarez signing off.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Matsu was enjoying her snack of leftover taoyaki and a cup of tea from the fridge when she looked up from her food and spotted Hamatarou coming from the hallway to her left. _It seems he's unaware of my presence. _Matsu noted with a smile. _Let's see how long it takes for him to notice me._ #02 kept eating, making sure to stay quiet and keeping an eye on Hamatarou. The oblivious one sat down on a recliner in front of his television, not turning on the device just yet. He decided to keep thinking about whatever he was thinking. Matsu noticed he has a habit of moving his head side to side when he's thinking about something really hard. She raised her hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle. _What an amusing human! First his sharp intellect he's shown in handing that geezer's ass to him at his own game, now this truly adorable little habit of his. _Matsu mused. She noted it might take a while for him to re-emerge into reality so she opted to make her presence known. Matsu cleared her throat audibly and called out to Hamatarou, "Hello there~!"

Hamatarou, having been incredibly deep in thought, was slow to react. He rose from his seat and looked in the direction of the voice, not really registering there was a stranger in his home. He took a moment to take in her appearance. She had round glasses on her face, reddish-brown hair, waist-length and tied into two braids and a figure women would kill for, from her massive breasts to the slim, tight waist and her large and shapely hips. She wore a sky-blue Chinese style dress which ended just above her knees and was split at the sides to show off her full thighs. Her complexion was a rather pale peach, almost as if she hasn't really seen much sun. Then his eyes started to open wide and various emotions started to show themselves all over his face, the most prominent being shock. He figured since the strange woman in his kitchen snacking on his food would make herself known by verbally calling out to him, she mustn't really mean him any harm. Nevertheless, she broke into his home and is a stranger so he opted to respond, "How did you get in here?"

Matsu's lips curved upwards. Naturally he'd ask what was on his mind, and what else would be his first question than that? Matsu waved her hand dismissively and answered, "Nothing a bobby pin couldn't handle."

Hamatarou's eyes narrowed at this, not buying such a simple answer. _For starters, did she just jump the fence? And what about_-

"Oh, and the security system revealed how to unlock itself. And really, the passcode to the gate is 1111?" Matsu released a melodic giggle at this. "You're not a very imaginative fellow are you?"

Hamatarou's face flushed at her almost condescending comments. _She tricked the security system into unlocking ITSELF? So she hacked into it?_ He shook his head, before he delved deeper into his mind trying to figure out the meaning behind her statements and looked up at where she was seated, only to see she wasn't there anymore. Hamatarou tilted his head slightly in confusion, until he felt a presence to his right and saw her seated on his sofa, with her legs crossed and her head resting on her hand with a smile gracing her admittedly gorgeous face. Hamatarou found his voice again, "Would you mind telling me why you broke into my home? And how would be nice, but something tells me a thief wouldn't share the tricks to her trade."

Matsu's face fell in mock hurt, "Matsu? A thief?" She then realized that title isn't entirely false when it's used to address her, considering what she has in her sleeve from MBI. However her smile didn't falter and she continued, "Perish the thought! Matsu just wanted to congratulate you on your handy victory on that old man, what was his name?" She paused, trying to remember his name.

_She call__s__ herself Matsu. I guess that's her name, __for now__. _Then Hamatarou registered what she said. The accountant's brow was already slightly furrowed in confusion but now it was well on it's way to forming even more wrinkles, "You were watching my game with the old geezer Nijima?" He thought back to his match with the crafty coot, distinctly remembering no one was close enough to see anything. "But you weren't anywhere close to watch the game...wait, are you...a stalker?"

At this, Matsu openly laughed. Partly because it was true in a way and partly because he figured it out so quickly. _You're just full of surprises, aren't you Hamatarou?_ Matsu decided to play along with his latest accusation. "As expected of the subject of my deep love, you guessed right! Matsu is your stalker~!" She made weird grabby motions with her hands and her glasses became rather obtuse. "Now tell Matsu where you keep your toe nail clippings~!"

Hamatarou sweat-dropped and backed away from the strange woman while she advanced towards him at the same pace. "Right well, uh..." Hamatarou was at a loss for words. "Look, I'll give you my toe nails, just get out of here afterwords!" Now Matsu laughter spiraled out of control, to the point she grabbed her sides and leaned forward, showing Hamatarou a generous amount of her cleavage. Hamatarou's face took on a rosy hue once again, plus he was starting to get irritated. _Laugh at me eh?_ He fumed. "What's so darn funny?!"

Matsu took her glasses off for a moment, breathed deep to calm herself down and wiped a tear from her right eye. "Oh Hamatarou, you are! You're so easily flustered, Matsu couldn't help but tease you." Matsu snickered a bit more but kept a lid on it as she noticed Hamatarou is starting to get angry.

"Yeah, well you can go yuck it up after I call the police on your stalker ass." He grumbled, finally fed up with this strange woman. Matsu's eyes widened at this threat, since MBI had men inside the various precincts.

"W-wait! Please don't call the police! Matsu apologizes for teasing you!" Matsu reached out and grabbed Hamatarou's forearm before he went any further.

Hamatarou looked at Matsu incredulously. "Wait? You broke into my house!" He near shouted, and since they were in such close proximity, Matsu cowed slightly at the power of his voice. Hamatarou slapped his free hand to his face and dragged it down slowly. _She hasn't openly tried to harm me and nothing looks stolen now that I look around. Maybe I should just let her go?_ He took in her pleading look through the gap in his fingers and sighed, "I'm willing to overlook this, just get out of here."

Matsu realized her chance to talk to Hamatarou one-on-one was slipping out of her hands. "Hold on! Matsu wishes to challenge you to a game of chess!" At this Hamatarou dropped his hand from his face, paused and faced her. Matsu took this time to really get a good look at his visage and saw he was fairly handsome and the warmth that spread through her core surged once again. _Oh, I'm definitely reacting __to Hamatarou__...but I don't know if I can get him to accept me just yet. So I'll just..._ "If I win, you'll listen to my request."

Hamatarou, being a man who never backed away from a challenge was put in a position where he'd have to accept, asked, "And what if I win?"

Matsu paused, not really knowing what to offer the young man. "Well, Matsu can't say...what do you want?" she decided directly asking him would be the best way to assure he'd accept.

At this, Hamatarou tilted his head slightly. After a quick second thinking about it, he responded, "How about you tell me your actual reasons for being here, and how my security system 'revealed' how to unlock itself? I'm going to guess you hacked it, but there's failsafes for that and you blew past it without even a peep. That's actually impressive." He admitted to the voluptuous woman in front of him.

Matsu blushed slightly at the compliment. "Matsu accepts your conditions. Do we have an agreement?" She extended her hand, wanting to shake on it. Hamatarou nodded and shook her hand, accepting the verbal contract. Hamatarou then moved towards the coffee table to the side of his recliner and lifted the glass chess board with its pieces already set. He then moved over to the kitchen's table and set it there, taking the obtuse glass pieces, which were the black ones. Hamatarou gestured towards the other side of the table and waited for Matsu to take her seat.

Hamatarou opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and stood up again. Matsu looked up at him in mild confusion and then realization when she saw Hamatarou grab a timer. Matsu then remarked, "Blitz chess, is it?" Hamatarou nodded, deciding he'd play this game with everything he can to his advantage. _I agreed to whatever request she'd have if she wins. Naturally she's not GOING to win so I'd better make sure of it by stacking the cards in my favour._ He thought to himself, feeling satisfaction at his own maneuvering.

Hamatarou spoke up, "Best two out of three?" Matsu nodded her consent and decided to go help herself to a re-fill of green tea. At this Hamatarou scowled, "Usually a guest, if I can even call you that, asks her host for a drink."

#02 had the decency to look ashamed of herself and humbly said, "Thank you very much for your hospitality." The red haired Sekirei re-focused on the matter at hand. Matsu was no slouch when it came to thinking quickly and since she was a Sekirei, she was confident in her ability to oust Hamatarou at his own game. Hamatarou used the same gesture he did with his match with Nijima earlier today. Matsu took the cue by slapping the timer on, immediately making her opening move and slapping the timer again signifying Hamatarou's turn.

Hamatarou, being the black pieces, statistically has a higher chance of losing but it was his style to await the first move. He opted to use the time they spent playing to interrogate Matsu, "So tell me, my stalker." At this Matsu giggled again but quickly re-focused, not wanting to take Hamatarou lightly. "What exactly made me the target of 'your deep love?'" Hamatarou put emphasis on the last part in a way Matsu could tell he obviously didn't believe she was his stalker. Slap (the timer, in case you guys couldn't tell).

Matsu made eye contact, dropping all semblances of jokes and decided the quickest way to make him accept her was the truth: "Your chess game. It showed just how sharp you are and you took those old geezers out to eat with your pay. Plus they called you 'Hana-sama,' which leads me to believe you've gone out of your way to treat them before." Matsu settled her piece down on the board. Slap.

After processing the last part of her confession, he realized she was right. _Why the hell did I treat those geezers to some ramen? Sure it was at a discount, but that still cost me. Being an accountant, I know what those little expenses do to a checkbook. Are they my friends? But we just play games occasionally when I visit them at that park table._ Hamatarou withdrew from his thoughts, moved his piece and continued his line of questioning, "So what, I prove I'm smart and all of a sudden you want to break into my home to see how smart? If that's all it takes to get a woman interested in you, I ought to have a different one coming in and out of this house on the daily. I'm not buying it." Slap.

Matsu looked up at him again. _Naturally, a bit of an ego. He's the kind of guy who's right a lot and quite used to it. I can see why, he's on the money with his analysis. _"There's that razor wit again. You just saw Matsu's supposed 'intentions' were false. Plus, even though Matsu deceived you, you're giving Matsu a chance. And now Matsu confirmed you've got a bit on an ego on you Hama-tan~" The use of -tan made Hamatarou raise his eye and look at Matsu severely. Slap.

"Don't call me 'Hama-tan'. No one calls me 'Hama-tan'." Hamatarou noticed he's getting irritated, so he attempted to calm himself down by breathing a little deeper and going about a mental exercise to re-focus his mental energies on the matter at hand. "So you've admitted you're here for a different reason than stated previously. I'm going to ask again, why are you here?" Slap.

Matsu smirked at his latest question. "Trying to get your prize ahead of time Hama-tan, for shame. You're acting as if you already wooon!" Matsu was trying to get a rise out of Hamatarou just like he did before with Nijima, except this time it was working. Hamatarou grit his teeth slightly and had a bit of a frown gracing his face. Matsu kept the smirk on her face, "Why don't you ask the question that's really on your mind, Hama-kun~?" Slap.

Hamatarou realized he was being messed with, but for some reason he couldn't quite rein in his irritation at the situation. He decided to try to turn the tables on her by asking a rather left-field question: "What are your three sizes?" On the outside he held his poker face, but internally he just face-palmed. _NOT what I was going to ask! Now I seem like the creep!_ Of course, the question was pretty out there so Matsu naturally reacted, a startled jump, a "Huh?!" and a blush creeping up to her cheeks. Naturally, even Hamatarou was a little shook up from his own question, an even more intense blush painting his face. "You heard me, what are your three sizes?" Slap.

Matsu adjusted her glasses and wiggled in her seat a little. _Muu, what an outrageous man~! So booold~! I'm falling for him even more~! _Matsu gushed to herself. She then noticed the blush on Hamatarou's face and she smiled her pervert smile. "B 95, W 58, H 91." She figured straight up answering would fluster him even further and show Matsu an even cuter side to her future Ashikabi. As expected, Hamatarou's complexion approached a shade resembling a tomato; Matsu couldn't keep in her giggles and nearly forgot to move her piece. Slap.

Hamatarou tried valiantly to keep his composure, but cracks were starting to show and he knew Matsu could tell. Due to his shock about her actually answering his question, he ended up blurting out, "Your bust is **how** big?!" and he even took a peek at her glorious breasts, damn his male mind. Matsu couldn't contain herself, started blushing even harder, lightly slapped both hands to her face and cried out, "Iyaaan, Hama-tan hentaaaiii*! Don't stare at Matsu's breasts~!" Matsu started smirking her pervert smirk. "Or rather, don't stare at Matsu's breasts with this dress ooon~" Matsu pulled at one side of her dress, showing off more of her right breast. This finally threw Hamatarou over the edge and he proceeded to erupt blood from his nose, falling back into his seat and landing on the floor, nearly blacked out. Matsu again started laughing at her future ashikabi's expense and didn't stop for a good minute while Hamatarou tried, and failed, to regain his composure. Finally, he rose from the floor, righted his seat and sat down, only for the timer to ring and for him to study the board and see he lost the first match.

Hamatarou couldn't believe it. Matsu just blew through his guard and flustered him into her first victory. His normally iron-clad self-control was in shambles! _This woman, who the hell is she?! And how shameless can she be, showing her breasts to a full-grown man like that! What if I attacked her? W-wait, I wouldn't do that!_ Hamatarou thought to himself convincingly (or so he thought). Matsu finally calmed down from her laughter and looked at Hamatarou with a rather cute smile. "What's the matter Hama-taaan, are you thinking ecchi** thoughts again~?" Hamatarou looked at #02 severely again and didn't answer, opting to reset the timer and both sets of pieces on the board. "Oh that's right, time for the final round," Matsu mentioned in an off-handed fashion. Hamatarou didn't miss that little comment but he knew her game now. Matsu was trying to fluster him into submission, basically. He figured if he just didn't respond to any of her advances and _watch what I fucking say!_ He thought that last part to himself rather loudly, he'd be just fine. Instead of immediately talking to the perverted devil of a woman in front of him, he deigned to gesture once again, that the first move was hers. She opted for the same opening move as last time. Slap.

"I'm sure you know, but that still wasn't the question I meant to ask." Hamatarou stated and Matsu nodded at this, realizing her future ashikabi was all business for now. "What I mean to ask is, how did you see my game against Nijima? You weren't around to watch it, the only thing close enough to us to even see the game was that birch tree, and I'm sure it wasn't intere-" He stopped mid-word, coming to a realization. Hamatarou couldn't finish his sentence, instead just looking at Matsu questioningly. Slap.

"Very good Hama-kun! You're right, Matsu was in the tree. Oh, and before you ask, it was to hide from some dangerous people." Matsu told Hamatarou in a tame fashion, a complete 360 from her dragging of certain words and girl-ish teasing, and went on "And before you ask the next question, Matsu is afraid telling you who was chasing me or why would be dangerous to your health, unless you accept my request." At this, Hamatarou made a sour face and opened his mouth to say something, but Matsu interrupted, "And before you say what you want to say, Matsu is not trying to coerce you into throwing this game, Matsu is just telling you how it is." Matsu looked at her future ashikabi wistfully, almost as if she genuinely wished she could tell him right then and there, but couldn't. Slap.

Hamatarou withdrew into his own thoughts momentarily to digest what he learned. _What could she be running from? Obviously Matsu has a brain almost as sharp as mine. _Hamatarou pondered, completely oblivious as to how egotistic that last part was. _What could she have done to have such dangerous people chasing her? I didn't see anyone running through the park looking for anyone, but it's not as if I was searching for people looking for other people. Could she be lying? I d__o__ sense a ring of truth in her words though..._ Hamatarou decided to return to reality and opted not to question Matsu further for now. Slap.

Matsu immediately noticed his lack of questions and decided it was time for her to bring a few of her own up. "Can Matsu ask you some questions now?" She queried with a tilt of her beautiful head. Hamatarou nodded with no hesitation; after all, it was only fair she gets some answers of her own. "Would you believe it if Matsu wasn't a human?" At this Hamatarou looked at her suspiciously, suspecting some form of foul play. _She sure as hell looks human to me..._ Hamatarou said to himself. Slap.

Hamatarou decided to voice his concerns aloud, "Not really, you sure look human to me. Although, you're beauty is admittedly out of this world..." That last part was muttered to himself and even with Matsu's enhanced Sekirei hearing, she couldn't quite catch the end of his answer. She knew better than to ask though, Hamatarou would've spoken up if she was to hear it. Slap.

Matsu smiled wistfully once again, "Well, Matsu is actually something known as a Sekirei. And you are a human known as an Ashikabi." She decided to stop dropping bombshells for now, letting Hamatarou ask a couple questions she knew he was going to ask. Slap.

As per Matsu's expectations, Hamatarou took the bait, "Alright, I'll bite. I'm going to assume in the context of 'Sekirei', you aren't referring to the birds. However, I've never heard that word Ashikabi before, what are they?" Slap.

Matsu got straight to the brass tacks: "Sekirei are beings from another planet. There's currently 108 of us around Shinto Teito and we're supposed to participate in the Sekirei Plan. And what the Sekirei Plan is the 108 Sekirei find their Ashikabis, humans like you," Matsu pointed as she said you to Hamatarou and continued, "to bond to them and fight, and fight and fight..." At this part, Matsu trails off, personally not being a fan of the Sekirei Plan. She shook herself from her stupor and continued.  
"Until there's only one Ashikabi and Sekirei pair left standing. Ashikabis are...regular humans such as yourself who have the potential to "wing" Sekirei. Each Sekirei has their own "destined" Ashikabi and hopefully they find them and the Ashikabi will accept them." Matsu paused once again, deciding to allow Hamatarou a few questions. The timer was forgotten from both sides of the game.

"I'm going to take an educated guess here that you broke in here to find your destined Ashikabi, me. Right?" Matsu blushed lightly at this and nodded. Hamatarou continued, "How do you go about winging a Sekirei? Who's behind this Sekirei Plan? And fight? In what, martial arts competitions? Chess tournaments?" Hamatarou last statement ended with an upward inflection, Matsu's answers to his questions just raising more interrogatives.

Matsu giggled and remarked, "'How do you go about winging a Sekirei?' Why Hama-taaan, do you want to wing Matsu~?" She said with a touch of hope in her voice? Hamatarou blushed at this, realizing this winging business might be rather intimate or was just made out to be by the accursed pervert in front of him. He motioned with his hands to get on with her explanation. Matsu giggled again and decided to oblige her future Ashikabi, "There's a few ways to go about winging a Sekirei, but the simplest one is a kiss." Her left hand rose to her face and her index and middle fingers touched her lips slightly, imagining what it would be like to kiss Hamatarou. She was getting ahead of herself though, and continued her explanations. "As to who is behind the Sekirei Plan, Matsu can't reveal unless you accept Matsu as your Sekirei. And as to how we fight, well. Watch this." Matsu then put her right hand to her temple and made Hamatarou's living room television turn out and change channels at her will. The egotistic Ashikabi swiveled in his seat and watched his television be controlled, seemingly by Matsu's ESP and turned back to watch the perverted Sekirei of Wisdom also turn on his microwave, coffee maker, oven and such from her seated position in front of him. Matsu chortled at Hamatarou's dropped jaw and starting guffawing even louder when she noticed he was starting to sweat.

Hamatarou swallowed audibly and decided he'd best comply with Matsu, "Well, considering you're an esper, I guess I'd better comply or you're going to rip me to pieces or something." Matsu blanched at his statement and looked at him closely. Hamatarou was afraid of her!

Matsu rose from her seat suddenly with a tear in her eye. "No! Don't be afraid of Matsu, Hamatarou! Matsu wouldn't hurt you..." Once again her perverted nature got the best of her, "Unless you wouldn't mind Matsu experimenting on you a little roughly, huhuhuh~!" At this Hamatarou paled and stood from his seat, realizing she really was a pervert, but still rather afraid of the superpowered beauty before him. Matsu noticed he was still afraid of her, and started to advance towards Hamatarou slowly with her palms open in a sign of surrender, "Matsu thinks you've misunderstood two things Hama-tan. One, my power isn't esp, or at least on all objects." At this Hamatarou's face turned into a question mark. _How can you have ESP but only on certain objects? _Then he remembered how the Green Lantern's ring couldn't affect anything yellow and decided to hear her out. "Matsu can only control technology, and even then only to a certain extent. Of course, should Matsu emerge Matsu's control would expand, but Matsu wouldn't expect it to be that much better. The second thing is, Matsu's power is much weaker when it comes to control of technology. Matsu is more intel-based. Matsu can act as a thought transmitter which means..." '_Matsu can speak into your mind, where it's much harder to keep things to yourself. Which is why Matsu is going to tell you the following this way. I would never hurt you Hana-tan.'_ Hearing #02's voice in his head was disconcerting to say the least, but the soon-to-be Ashikabi kept his cool on the outside at least. Hamatarou had stopped retreating and Matsu could finally get her hands on him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and embraced him, squeezing her large bust on his chest. "Please Hamatarou, I just want you to love me." Hamatarou couldn't help the blush or the beginning of a reaction from his nether regions. _Like any man could, she just wanted him and she looked as drop dead beautiful as she did? _Matsu decided it was now or never: "Hamatarou Tanaka, will you accept Matsu as your Sekirei and be Matsu's Ashikabi?" The Sekirei of Wisdom's eyes never leaving Hamatarou's face as she pleaded.

Hamatarou couldn't look her in the face for a while, clearly blushing and trying his hardest to remain in control of himself until he finally looked down and saw not a superpowered alien, a pervert who couldn't help but tease him or a rapier intellect capable of going toe-to-toe with him in a meeting of wits, but a woman hoping for the man she wished for to love her. And as a man, how could he not answer her? He thought about how Matsu continuously surprised him, by breaking through the wall around his heart, predicting things he wanted to say and even managing to out-wit him in a game of minds he was very familiar with. _There won't be another woman like her coming along in my life-time, and I'd be lying if I said I felt no attraction to her as a person..._ Hamatarou mused. After staring at her milk-chocolate coloured eyes for 5 seconds, he placed an arm around her waist and another on the back of her neck and gave her a deep kiss. Matsu audibly moaned in his lips and her legs went weak as the heat coursing through her body flared through every part of her being. Yellow wings of light, reaching through half the living room and stretched to the walls of Hamatarou's kitchen extended and surrounded the Sekirei symbol grew out of her back and faded away once their kiss ended. Matsu face was glowing with a blush and her own happiness as she wrapped her arms around her Ashikabi's neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. After snuggling her Ashikabi for a few seconds, she reached up, grabbed Hamatarou's face and kissed him again, causing her yellow wings to burst forth once more. "#02 Matsu, at your service Ashikabi-sama, forever and ever."

*'Hentai' means pervert here. And yeah, to some of you guys this is incredibly redundant but not all of us are enli-erm savvy on stuff like this.

**'ecchi' being perverted. Japanese does shit like that.

A/N: There we go! Hamatarou is officially in the Sekirei Plan thanks to Matsu. Will he be experimented on by next morning? And who's next to join Matsu as Hamatarou's Sekirei? Find out next time on Drag- erm, A Meeting of Wits!

Edit 1: Did a little maintenance, I guess you could say. I would like an actual proof-reader though if possible. If not I'll release 3 MK. I's, revise them, then get to writing more. Yeah it seems a little weird but I like to get new material hot off the presses and then let myself cool down so I can see what I did wrong as objectively as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hanatarou is in a very peculiar situation. Looking up and down the street he found himself in, he noticed there wasn't a soul in sight. Hanatarou's brow furrowed in confusion, broken by his sudden snicker as he imagined a tumbleweed bounding past him, then went back to his puzzled look. _Is there some sort of festival happening in another district and no one bothered sending me a memo? _He wondered. Upon closer inspection of his surroundings, he is struck with a feeling of dé jà vu. It's like his body remembers strolling down this road but his mind knows for a fact he's never been here before. Realizing nothing would happen if he simply stared at everything around him, Hanatarou faced North and started trudging up the incline. As he climbed further and further, a strange warmth started to envelop his body and his stomach was in the calmest state of unrest it's ever been in and he unconsciously accelerated to just short of a power walk. As Hanatarou reached the peak of the incline, he froze. In front of him was a woman taller than Matsu but shorter than him, in a pair of faded, torn jeans and wearing a pink-ish purple shirt and had long, milk chocolate coloured hair. He couldn't see her face or most of her upper torso for that matter, as the sun was at the perfect spot behind her to obscure Hanatarou's vision. "Sooo, you're the Ashikabi Matsu chose! I'm surprised you're not a woman, but at least she doesn't have bad taste." At this, she slinked a few steps closer. "Why don't you tell me your name, handsome?"

The young man in question raised his left hand to the back of his head, acting a little bashful after the compliment and a good walk. "Hanatarou Tanaka. I'm guessing you're a Sekirei?"

The mysterious woman started circling around Hanatarou, examining his figure with a practiced eye and finally giving him a look at her beautiful face and perfect body models would do unholy rituals for. Keeping eye contact was a real test on the gentlemanly ways the casual stockbroker's mother raised him with. "That's right! I'm #10, Uzume."

The young accountant spoke up again, "Where are we? And why do I feel like a piece of beef being examined for choice cuts for a barbeque?" He was starting to feel unnerved after Uzume made her third circle around him, her smiling face growing slowly wider.

Uzume let out a short laugh at his comment, "Why, we're in a shared dream! Both of us are asleep, but fate has linked our minds together for this short moment so would meet, so to speak." At this, Hanatarou tilted his head to the right and his mouth opened, as if trying to speak but not quite knowing what to say. Uzume giggled again and continued, "Yeah, I don't really get it either. You should ask Matsu about it when you wake up in a few seconds though. Oh, and make sure to tell her I'll be along shortly!" Immediately after the veiled Sekirei finished that sentence, Hanatarou's eyes snapped open to the sight of his bedroom ceiling. As his mind was gradually shaking sleep's embrace, he noticed there was a warmth unlike any he's ever experienced before wrapped around his laying form. He looked down to see a head full of reddish-brown hair. Not being a morning person, it took him a while to register that Matsu was sound asleep on his chest, her breathing perfectly synchronized with his own. Hanatarou wasn't surprised, considering Matsu refused to sleep anywhere unless he was right next to her. He started to lift Matsu slightly and slide out from underneath her, making sure to tuck her in once he was standing. Matsu unconsciously noticed the lack of contact with her Ashikabi and her left hand reached out to grab him but missed. She immediately started squirming slightly and breathed out, "Hana-tan..." At this, Hanatarou's face lit up and took 2 long strides back. It goes without saying, having a sweet-smelling 10/10 woman sleep on him would give him a case of morning wood like no other. Clearly having an internal affairs issue with himself, Hanatarou's gentlemanly teachings ended up winning out. He rushed silently out of the room and made a bee-line to the bathroom to begin his morning rituals.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Matsu sat up, wide awake, with a frown on her face. "Damn, I almost had him too!" She ground her fists childishly into the bed covers. After pouting for a few seconds, she threw herself back in a laying position and sighed, scolding herself slightly for letting him get away bother her; it was only the first night after all and started to smile while wrapping her arms around herself. "At least I know he's attracted to me."

Hanatarou stepped out of the bathroom, taking a moment to stretch his long limbs and trudged downstairs towards the kitchen. Since it's the first morning of Matsu's stay here, he figured he might as well make it a good one, and the first step to that was with a good breakfast. As he opened his fridge and began to withdraw eggs, butter, sliced turkey breast and bacon, he sunk into his own thoughts to organize his questions for Matsu. Before they went to sleep, Hanatarou had an awful lot of questions for the Sekirei of Wisdom, but her previous flight from the Disciplinary Squad was rather taxing on her; after all, she was even weaker on the physical side than an elemental-type Sekirei. Of course, Hanatarou himself isn't aware of this. As far as he knows, Matsu collapsed due to not eating a thing and spending her time looking for her Ashikabi.

As the accountant was finishing the last of breakfast (seared salmon, with a touch of his own blend of spice that's doesn't have too much kick so people who can't handly spicy food could still enjoy, plus it has a robust, deep flavour), he heard his bedroom door open and looked up to see his first Sekirei nearly in all her glory; she still had on her undergarments, (un)fortunately. Thankfully for Hanatarou, he had a good poker face. Unbeknownst to him though, was Matsu's ability has amplified since being winged by the part-time stockbroker; she knew exactly effect her near naked appearance had on Hanatarou. A brief, perverted smirk unseen by Hanatarou spoke her intentions of, the fun has yet to begin. The perverted Sekirei tossed her hair and took a seat on the medium-sized table at the edge of the kitchen and with a more tame smile greeted her Ashikabi with a, "Good morning, Hana-tan~! What smells so good?"

Hana-tan responded with a, "Good morning Matsu. Did you sleep well?" and deigned to answer her question about the smell by serving her breakfast. The traditional white rice and miso soup for both of them, the staple entree of the previously mentioned salmon, slices of pineapple and a glass of grapefruit juice was layed out on the table for Matsu, with a bacon, tomato and cheese omelete and more of those pineapple slices for Hanatarou. The young Ashikabi relished in Matsu's slightly dropped jaw and the subtle widening of her eyes at the veritable feast (of course it only seemed big to Matsu, as she hadn't eaten since the day she escaped MBI) and took the option to tease her a bit. "Jeez, no need to look so surprised a guy living alone is self-sufficient."

Matsu, taking the verbal prod in stride, was quick on the up-take and her face fell into a mock pout, "Ohh? You're kicking me out now Hana-tan?" #02 started shedding crocodile tears. "What will poor, poor Matsu do now~, kicked out by the man she loves out on to the curb~?" False sobs shook her voluptuous figure.

Hanatarou didn't understand how he knew, but he could tell Matsu was just ribbing him. "Stow it, you. You're well aware I swore to take responsibility before you practically blacked out in my arms." The sharp accountant noticed Matsu picking up her chopsticks before she had her wrist slapped. The pervert drew her hand back, shocked her Ashikabi would do such a thing, even if she was being over-dramatic; the slap was really just a light tap. Hanatarou pointed back towards the room and stated, "Get dressed before you eat, would you?" _As much as I'm enjoying the show, I don't want to end up in the hospital from blood-loss, _he thought that last part. Hana-tan's face scrunched up a tad in confusion, his thoughts derailed as he couldn't help but wonder the meaning behind Matsu's knowing smile. _It's like she's reading my mind._

Hana-tan shook his head, stopping that line of thought before he distracted himself further from his prepared questions. He sat down upon the table and began to eat in advance, so he could get to the questions as soon as possible. His seemingly mean decision to eat before his guest joined him turned out to be a smart one; as soon as Matsu returned in her sky-blue dress, she inhaled her feast and immediately asked for seconds. They wound up finishing at the same time and took a moment to bask in the feeling of a satisfying meal. Hanatarou opted to re-break the ice, "So. You kind of conked out on me before I could really get the dirty details on the Sekirei Plan."

Matsu re-positioned her glasses on her face and her aura immediately took a more serious and knowledgeable feel to it. "As expected of the man I chose. He's going to use me the first morning after he wings me~!" The serious aura didn't even last 4 seconds, a new record for the perverted Sekirei of Wisdom. Hana-tan's face deadpanned, didn't even dignify that with a response and waited for her to continue. Matsu pouted for a moment, then got straight to the brass tacks, "Maybe it would speed things up if Hana-tan asked for specifics?"

Hana-tan sat up and didn't hesitate, "Who started this Sekirei Plan? I may have barely learned about Sekirei last night, but my first impression of you leads me to believe you're a little too intelligent to do a battle royale for the fun of it."

Matsu doesn't miss a beat, "The plan was designed by MBI, more specifically the president of the company, Minaka Hiroto. His true reasons are known only to him, but if you ask me it's to stroke his God complex." Hearing Matsu say that last part so seriously, Hana-tan had no choice but to take it as fact.

"Alright, so what exactly does it mean for a Sekirei to bond to an Ashikabi?" Hana-tan's line of inquiry was far from over.

Once again with flawless tempo, Matsu answered, "For a Sekirei, it's like the ritual humans call marriage." At this, the young stockbroker's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Don't misunderstand. It's not legally binding, so you have the option to go out and date your human women. Although, Matsu has seen many pictures of what's available, and while Matsu doesn't mean to brag, but..." #02's voice dropped and she opted to push out her chest and run a hand through her currently laid-down hair, letting her fantastic figure do the talking.

Hana-tan couldn't help but interject with a smile, "And you tease **me** about my ego." He chided.

Matsu giggled, admitted a "Touché," and was once again struck with the impulse to tease her witty Ashikabi, "One thing Matsu must remind you of, we Sekirei are powerful beings with strong feelings of love towards our Ashikabi. We might just get jealous and take it out on you, you know~?" Hana-tan's face immediately dropped to a poker-face that would have been convincing, if it wasn't for the beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead as he realized how true her last sentence was. Being the sharp man he was though, he noted Matsu said "we" and immediately queried about her use of plural form.

Matsu couldn't help her subconscious desire to immediately head over to her Ashikabi and embrace him. _Nothing gets past him. _She mused with a sigh as she wrapped her arms around his chest, then dropping them to his rear for a quick squeeze. The pervert got a repeat performance of her breakfast wrist slapping, except with a marginal increase in force. A lecherous giggle could be heard from the depths of Hana-tan's chest, "Oh Hana-tan~ you should know I don't mind it if you're rougher with me~ As a matter of fact, I don't mind role-playing the Swo-"

"Matsu, for the love of Kami, do not finish that reference!" He almost shouted. Matsu's head snapped back, and her hands moved to his chest, immediately thinking of an apology then looked at her Ashikabi's face. He started scratching his head in embarrassment and muttered, "I liked that movie as a kid, don't ruin it for me."

Before either one could say anything else, they both shared a good laugh, each others antics and how they just flowed. Matsu wound up speaking up this time, "Where did we leave off, Hana-tan?"

Hanatarou gazed up at the ceiling for a second then looked down with the answer, "You were about to explain why you used 'we' when you reminding me about how much of a bad idea it is to cheat on a Sekirei."

Matsu nodded, getting her thoughts back on track, "Ashikabi can wing as many Sekirei as he wishes. And you know what that means, right Hana-tan?"

At this, Hanatarou tilted his head, puzzled. "What does that mean, Matsu?"

Matsu suddenly had stars in her eyes as she suddenly wrapped one hand around her Ashikabi's neck and brought his head down between her breasts and pointed towards the window with the other. "Why, Hana-tan has to go out and wing more Sekirei of course~! Matsu is only Matsu after all. Brain-type Sekirei aren't meant to fight, and no Ashikabi of Matsu's is going to be defenseless!"

Hanatarou found himself defying his mother's gentlemanly teachings by talking with his mouth full, "Buh Masoo, I cah du dah." The self-made stockbroker broke free from his Sekirei's grip and stood up straight, trying to get the feeling of Matsu's breasts out of his head, "If I was to wing another Sekirei, I would only do so if she-"

"Or he," Matsu injected.

Hanatarou hesitated, but conceded the point, "Or he, is reacting to me. Good lord, did I just agreed to kiss a man? Never thought I'd see the day." He shook his head in disbelief and barked out a condescending laugh. Matsu giggled and was interrupted before she could say anything, "Oh, I had a pretty weird dream last night." #02 held her tongue and waited for him to continue, "A Sekirei by the name of Uzume spoke to me. She mentioned we were linked by fate, and I should ask you about it. Oh, and she sends her regards." Hana-tan stapled on that last part in a rush.

Matsu had a smile on her face that Hanatarou could only describe as victorious. The pervert reached into her cleavage and withdrew a cell phone. In a tone matching her smile, she asked, "Would you like to meet Uzume, Hana-tan?"

A/N: I don't know if you guys can tell, but I enjoy typing out this pair's interactions. Oh, and guess which part I was really hungry typing out.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: It should go without saying but I don't own Sekirei, any of the other shows/games/comics/manga I reference, or any of its characters. Please don't sue me broke, I'm poor enough as it is!

Hana-tan tilted his head slightly and began to ask, "Wait, you know he-" He interrupted himself with a face-palm, "Ugh, of course you do. You're related." The self-deprecating Ashikabi ended the last sentence with a slight upward inflection.

The Sekirei of Wisdom bobbed her head up and down, then scrunched up her face in a show of indecisiveness and decided to explain, "Sort of? It's like how all humans are related if you keep looking up the family tree. It's pretty much the same with us Sekirei in that regard, just on a smaller scale. As a matter of fact, the only direct relation I can think of would be the Lightning Twins, Hibiki and Hikari."

Hanatarou nodded and grunted an affirmation he understood then remembered his Sekirei's previous question, "Well uh, I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to meet Uzume at least." As soon as he finished speaking, Matsu snapped her phone open and moved to speed-dial her soon-to-be sister-in-arms but was held back by her Ashikabi's hand. "Wait! Wait. It's still too early for that. I keep an ungodly schedule." He motioned with other hand towards the oven clock to show it was barely 7 in the morning and continued, "Plus, I've questions left to ask you. So if you wouldn't mind settling back in, I'd like to continue."

Matsu hesitated for a millisecond then settled back into her seat across from Hanatarou, unable to deny her Ashikabi's request. #02 really would've preferred for Hana-tan to meet and wing #10 already; sure, the Sekirei Plan was a ways off from starting but increasing her Ashikabi's bond with what would be his only combative Sekirei for a while until other Wagtails are released would be a fine idea, seeing as how a Sekirei's ability increases based on the bond they share with their Ashikabi. All this time allotted to the three of them to strengthen their ties before the game even begins would be such an advantage that even single numbers (excluding Miya and Karasuba) would be hard-pressed to defeat the Veiled Sekirei, theoretically. The mild unease Matsu felt vanished quickly as she rationalized her worry away. _It's not as if a couple hours or even a few days will really matter in the long run. Either way Hana-tan will wing and grow to love Uzume-tan, just as he will grow to love Matsu._ The slightest of smiles appeared on the Sekirei of Wisdom's face for the briefest of moments and vanished as #02 re-adjusted her glasses and sat at attention once again.

"Alright!" Hanatarou started then paused as he procured a toothpick from a little dispenser he had on the countertop in front of his sink and began to poke out the renegade strands of salmon stuck between his teeth. He kept finished jabbing at the spaces between his teeth and continued, "So there's you," He accented the word "you" with a small rotation of his wrist and proceeded, "And your brains. If the Sekirei are having a battle royale, I figure it would be a little weird if you guys did that via duels of the mind; it wouldn't make a grand spectacle all that entertaining for Minaka's God complex." Matsu nodded slightly to show she was paying rapt attention, as if the unflinching stare wasn't enough, "What else can you Sekirei do?"

With another adjustment of her spectacles and a deep breath to show this would be a longer tangent than normal, Matsu began to speak, "Matsu will begin with the simpler Sekirei. You have your unarmed-types. Martial artists you could call them although it's not as if they've really learned any of the disciplines as far as Matsu knows. There's also the armed-types. They're practically the same as the unarmed-types, besides the obvious difference. Then you have the branch of the armed-types like Uzume-tan who use unconventional weapon." A raised eyebrow from Hana-tan and she decided to delve into detail about her soon-to-be comrade, "Uzume-tan uses cloth in a sort of free-style manner. Her imagination is the limit; she could choose to make a simple spearhead for a piercing attack, weave together a sort of hammer, a shield or even a drill, although that's not much different from a spear. And all that without being possessed by a spirit who enjoys bossing her around and the desire to eat nothing but pudding." Hanatarou decided not to question that last sentence and waited for his Sekirei to continue. "Then there are the elemental-type Sekirei. This type of Sekirei isn't as outstanding physically, compared to an armed or unarmed-type Sekirei they lack strength, durability and stamina but don't underestimate them; having dominion over an element is something else. Matsu remembers how #03 was capable of downing numerous helicopters simultaneously with her command of the wind and how #05 could collapse the ground underneath several tanks with a strike of his sheathed katana..." A faraway look glazed #02's eyes as she began to reminisce about her days as a Guardian of the S Plan.

Hanatarou noticed how #05, despite seemingly being an elemental-type was still armed and inquired about how he seems to be a hybrid. The Sekirei of Wisdom snapped out of her nostalgia trip, nodded approvingly at her Ashikabi's insight and went on, "Matsu was about to get to that. Last but not least are the unique Sekirei. #05 Mutsu is capable with his blade, but his main style of attack is to use his sheathed katana like how a Black or White Mage would use a wand or staff as a catalyst for his or her energy to burst forth. Unfortunately Matsu cannot really describe the unique Sekirei without going into explicit detail of each and every single one which would take hours, so Matsu will simply say each unique Sekirei really breaks the mold." #02 chuckles a bit then adds on, "Although the same could be said of every Sekirei." The reddish-brown haired Sekirei a moment to drink some tea and dutifully awaited her Ashikabi's next line of inquiry.

During the long tirade Matsu went on, Hanatarou had intertwined his fingers together and rested his chin on his knuckles while his elbows rested on the table, silently absorbing everything his Sekirei said. After a brief moment of silence spent digesting the information, the attentive stock-broker lowered a hand towards his own cup of tea, took a long swig and moved onto his next interrogative, "Alright…considering there's armed and unarmed Sekirei, I take it conventional training would be a good way to strengthen their fighting capability?"

Matsu shook her head and spoke in her lecture tone, "Matsu is afraid not, Hana-tan. Sekirei may look human but Hana-tan has to remember we are not. Don't misunderstand, conventional training will help hone reflexes and techniques would be nice for the close-combat types, but it would mean little in the grand scheme of things. Sekirei are beings of emotion after all; it would be much more effective for the Sekirei and Ashikabi pair to have strengthened their bond. Love and trust in one another is much more effective than any amount of training regimens would be for a Wagtail." Despite being one of the largest perverts known to Sekirei-kind, Matsu could actually be serious from time to time.

While the pensive Ashikabi spaced out for a moment to digest another tid-bit, a perverted grin appeared on Matsu's face while she approached Hana-tan with her hands in front of her making grabbing motions with her hands. She was already right on top of Hanatarou by the time he noticed and soon found himself pinned down by his lecherous Sekirei. Matsu's face was somehow shrouded in shadow, leaving only her wide smile visible. With a seductive tone, #02 began to almost sigh out, "And so, without further ado Hana-tan~! Let's strengthen our 'bonds' hmm~?"

"Matsu…" Her beloved Hana-tan muttered as his hands gripped her thighs and began to lift her dress. A delighted but surprised squeak escaped her lips and soon she bit her lower lip in anticipation; #02 believed her beloved Ashikabi to be shyer about such things and yet here he was playing an active role. "Matsu…" The aroused accountant muttered once again as he sat up while the Sekirei of Wisdom straddled him, kissing and nibbling on her neck and working his way down towards her half-exposed-

"Matsu!" A banana peel suddenly slapped her on the face, snapping her out of her stupor.

"Ngah!" The daydreaming Wagtail so intelligently articulated as she jumped half-way out of her seat and flailed her arms about in brief panic. Matsu flicked the banana peel onto the table and came back to the world of the living. "Oh boo. I should've known it was too good to be true…" The irate Sekirei mumbled to herself.

Hanatarou kept the poker face up strong but on the inside his sides were destroyed, _Holy shit, 'Ngah!'? Man that's fucking rich pfft!_ He made sure to memorize the scene that played out in front of him to the best of his ability for later; it was sure to cheer him up on a long day at work sometime down the road. With a bite of his preferred after-breakfast fruit, he spoke up, "Do I want to know or shall we continue with the Q&amp;A?"

Matsu finished polishing her glasses with the hem of her one-piece, placed them on their rightful spot on the bridge of her nose and just shook her head and waved her hands in a way that said "Get on with it!"

The bemused accountant nodded slightly with the smallest smirks gracing his decent-looking face. "Well alrighty then!" He clapped his hands together lightly and began to rub his hands, trying to remember what he hadn't asked yet. Once the figurative lightbulb went off above his head, he resumed his game of Twenty Questions, "So. We're in this battle royale thing, right? Is it really just fight to the death until one pair is left standing?"

"Well, Matsu's knowledge of the later stages of the S Plan is far too limited. As to what exactly the Director has planned for his participants, Matsu can only guess. However, knowing Minaka and his love for theatrics, it would be a safe bet if there were some more organized matches further down the road amongst the big players of the Sekirei Plan." #02 went back to her lecture tone, albeit it lacked its previous crispness. This was most likely due to her perverted daydream being just that, a daydream.

Hanatarou with his astounding attention to detail noticed the decreased energy level in his partner and hesitated. It was only his second day of being an Ashikabi. There was no manual or guidebook for when such problems arise. He considered reaching over to pat one of Matsu's hands that was resting on the table to reassure her then re-called her earlier words, _Sekirei may look human but Hana-tan has to remember we are not. _The pensive accountant wasn't inexperienced in dealing with women but who sat in front of him is an exception to his previous ventures. Despite his high Int stat, he was unfortunately drawing a blank as what to do to cheer her up. "We've been flapping our gums for a while now Matsu. How about we take a break?" Hanatarou questioned softly.

Matsu nodded slowly, knowing a ticket to get away and recollect herself when she saw one. #02 excused herself from the table and scurried up-stairs while hitting the speed dial to reach Uzume. A dial tone sounded out the first time and Matsu was all smiles. The dial tone gave a repeat performance and the bespectacled Sekirei had a much smaller smile now. The dial tone was currently on its third lap and Matsu's apparantly very thin patience was as well when the tone was abruptly cut off by #10's sing-song voice crying out, "Matsu! You're OK!" The last part had the slightest hint of a question attached to the end of it.

The red-headed pervert's beginning of a scowl vanished the moment the Veiled Sekirei answered and decided to get right to the juicy part, "Matsu is better than ok Uzume-tan, Matsu has met and been winged by her Ashikabi~!" Neither Matsu or Uzume could contain their girlish squeal; Sekirei are beings of love and the meeting of their destined ones is like for a human to find his/her life's calling and be able to do just that for the rest of his/her life. It not only brought immense joy to one's life, it completed them.

The busty brunnette immediately started firing off questions with a gradually growing blush and excited tone, "What's he like? Of course he's treating you nice, right? Oh, did you already consummate your marriage? Was his size bigger than average?" Uzume was wiggling the whole while she interrogated Matsu on her future Ashikabi.

Her friend's energy and enthusiasm rubbed on her and perked Matsu up from her funk. Naturally the pervert caught #10's lack of questioning towards his name and her belief she's being treated well, confirming the Veiled Sekirei was Hana-tan's second-to-be. Matsu had enough of her calculating mind for the moment and switched completely over to her girl side, "Hmph! Hana-tan refuses to ravish Matsu for her honeymoon yet, but Matsu can tell he wants too~" The voluptuous red-head started preening, remembering Hana-tan's attraction to her. Once again, the fun had yet to begin. "Oh, he mentioned you already, you know~? Matsu can't even enjoy a day with her man before some other woman comes and tries to steal him~? Really, did you have to react to him already?"

Matsu could hear the pout in Uzume's voice, "Oh shut up, you pervert! That's what happens when an Ashikabi and a Sekirei, a former Disciplinary Squad member to boot, bond! They get their powers increased." Uzume was right about the both of them, even if Hanatarou potential as an Ashikabi wasn't amazing: Since she's one of the stronger psychics in the Sekirei Plan, maybe she was acting as an amplifier for Hantarou's ability to draw in Sekirei? Plus there was evidence of Uzume's basic understanding of the bond already; Neither Hanatarou or Matsu had dreams of the other, but the evening immediately after she's winged, from what #02 could understand her Ashikabi had a rather vivid dream about Uzume. It's like Hanatarou is an electric guitar and Matsu is a speaker: The guitar can play on its own sure, but you can't really hear it unless you're right next to the source. The moment Hanatarou figuratively plugs into Matsu, his 'sound' gets a lot more powerful.

Matsu put a finger to her lips and in a contemplative tone murmured, "Well, that's actually a real good possibility Uzume-tan. Matsu, being a single number probably raised Hana-tan's EXP level really high, like an Entombed or a trio of Movers."

Uzume sweat-dropped and asked, "Uh Matsu, what are Entombed? Or Movers?"

Matsu waved her hand dismissively and said, "Forget that Uzume-tan, I didn't get to tell you how severe a case of morning wood Hana-tan had this morning~!" Her perverted old man cackle began to escape from her lips.

Before Matsu could continue gushing about the man in her life, said man called out from down-stairs, "Matsu~, I'm going shopping. I'll be back in 2 hours at the most. Is there anything you'd like? Dressed in a simple button-up white shirt with no tie, black slacks and his older, more comfortable pair of black loafers, he was at the door ensuring he had his wallet and phone with him.

"Ah, Uzume-tan, Matsu has to go, she's got to see off her Ashikabi~. Bye-bye~!" Before Uzume could even respond she snapped her cellphone shut and slid it between her cleavage.

#02 came bounding down the stairs straight to Hana-tan and handed her Ashikabi a rather large list. Before he could even glance down at it, Matsu's free hand grabbed his chin lightly and kissed him with passion known only to Sekirei. Hanatarou was taken aback for half a second but responded, if a bit half-heartedly; Sekirei may jump into their relationships but he was still human, plus his mother taught him to take these kinds of things slow. The red-head's set of sunflower-yellow wings blossomed from her back, illuminating the hallway, living room and kitchen from her position of just by the door. After an eternity in the enamored Sekirei's mind, she released her beloved Ashikabi, "Thank you very much for your consideration Hana-tan. Matsu is sorry for her extensive list, but please show mercy in disciplining your naughty Sekirei when you come back alright~?" With a radiant smile and a shine of honeyglow in her cheeks, she kissed Hanatarou once again, but much shorter this time and scurried towards the living room, waving good-bye for now to the object of her world.

Hanatarou was dumbstruck. While he wasn't quite familiar with the action of Norito yet, he was witness to its power increase, even if he wasn't aware of the cause of it. During and after the kiss, Matsu's psychic power was increased, and instead of just a lukewarm reception of what #02 was feeling, Hanatarou felt exactly what was running through his Sekirei's mind: The young accountant was the Wisdom Sekirei's universe. #02 recollected everything about him, from his smile and laugh and how it would set her heart to a jackhammer-like setting to back in the beginning when the stockbroker got annoyed and threatened to call the cops on her. Her fear in that moment dispelled any doubt he had left. Their bond is not what a human's marriage is now, with divorce and annulments possible. It's not even like what a human's marriage was; he could treat the Sekirei of Wisdom as terribly as he wanted and she would still love him, until death did them part. Matsu's earlier comparison of a Sekirei/Ashikabi bond to the human ritual of marriage was done to better get her point across but it didn't even begin to describe what it really was. A Sekirei's love for their Ashikabi was undeniably and irreversibly unconditional. As a gentleman, he knew what he had to do: He had to respond in kind. Alas, life is not so simple as to know what one has to do and to simply do it. After all, Hanatarou is only human. He can't deny he's attracted to Matsu's razor sharp wit and it goes without saying she's absolutely stunning physically, but one doesn't just jump head-first into matters of the heart simply because your mind attempts to command it. The building of bonds for humans takes time and effort from both sides. While Matsu is most certainly trying with all she has, Hanatarou is ashamed to admit he can't answer in kind yet. And yet is the key word here; it's not like he can get rid of Matsu. She explained a winging was permanent, plus he told her he would accept responsibility. Now that he understood just what he meant to her, Hanatarou couldn't in good conscience give her the boot. Therefore, the only options were remain distant and make both of them unhappy or try to meet her halfway and both of them could experience bliss for the rest of their lives. And what sane man would willingly choose unhappiness over its opposite?

And so, Hanatarou finally set off from his home, making a bee-line towards a clothes store before he had an idea he should have had before he took off. He re-entered his home and once again called out to his Sekirei, "Matsu~? Would you like to come shopping with me?"

From the living room, an audible "Hauuu~" sounded and out came #02, a look of shame with an added blush painting her beautiful face. Matsu approached her Ashikabi, fidgeting the whole while until she threw her arms around him and spoke, "Matsu is so sorry Ashikabi-sama~!" Hanatarou noticed her use of his official title and the "-sama" honorific and held his silence, "Matsu has still not shared all the info she should have with her beloved Hanatarou."

With a sniff and a re-adjustment of her glasses on her face, the Sekirei of Wisdom opened her mouth to continue until she was interrupted by a second voice coming from the living room, "Hello~? Is Hanatarou Tanaka home~?" the voice, undoubtedly male, called out. Both Sekirei and Ashikabi met eyes, Matsu with an expression of nervousness and the beginning of horror, the young accountant confusion and growing irritation, _Who the hell broke into my house _**_this _**_time?!_ He fumed in his head.

Hanatarou advanced to the living room while Matsu clung to his back, avoiding a direct line of sight with the television, knowing how he works. Once the self-made stockbroker got in front of the screen, the CEO of MBI, the Gamemaster of the Sekirei Plan, the Director, Minaka Hiroto was being broadcasted to them, in his usual white suit with cape and a ridiculous collar. Seated in his throne, with his hands joined and one leg over the other, smiled at the sight of the newest Ashikabi and the reddish-brown head of hair peeking out from behind his left arm and spoke, "You can come out from behind your Ashikabi #02 Matsu, I'm not upset at you anymore. Now that you're an active member of the Sekirei Plan, I'm giving you a pardon for your thieving actions earlier." The addressed Sekirei started to sweat even more and moved to Hanatarou's side, her crimes laid bare before her Ashikabi. The Director continued, "Considering your Hanatarou's background as the first from his family to graduate from a university and his stock portfolio, which by the way is fantastic!" The last part being directed towards Hanatarou, "It's always nice to see investors put so much faith in my MBI to keep rising. But I digress. Congratulations Hanatarou Tanaka, you have winged a Sekirei and have become an active participant in the Sekirei Plan! The rules are simple. The Sekirei must fight, fight and fight until there is only one left. The prize for the winning Sekirei is to be with their beloved Ashikabi forever. The prize for the winning Ashikabi is the chance to usher in the Age of the Gods!" The Director raised his fist and struck a dramatic pose that would make Jojo fans proud and went on, "Of course, if other countries learned of what we're doing and what exactly Sekirei are, there'll be war brought onto Japanese soil so it is imperative you, Hanatarou Tanaka, keep this a secret or MBI will retaliate with every resource at our disposal." Minaka paused to let this sink in then moved to conclude his speech, "If you've got all that, I'm afraid I've got to get going. It's not easy being the CEO of a company after all! Best of luck to you Hanatarou and to you #02 Matsu, and may the odds-whoops, wrong line. Anyway, good luck!" The T.V. turned off and the room was left in darkness and stiff silence.

Matsu didn't bother trying to roll what was revealed under the rug and decided to get it over with. She put a bit of space between herself and Hanatarou and sat down in seiza facing her Ashikabi. The sharp accountant also sat down, gave Matsu a loaded look. #02 knew what he was asking and bowed into dogeza and spoke in a low tone, "Matsu is deeply sorry for not letting you know earlier. Matsu is a, now former fugitive of MBI for stealing an object of great importance to them."

Hanatarou kept a neutral expression and tone when he responded, "I take it the reason you were a mess yesterday was because they chased you?" A miserable looking Matsu nodded her confirmation. Hanatarou resumed, "Considering their knowledge of me, even going so far as to examine my stocks, it goes without saying they know where I work, who my family are, where I live, which by extension is where you are and they could've barged in during the evening and enacted their revenge on you and possibly even myself?" The former Disciplinary Squad member was on the verge of bursting into tears, nodded and was about to beg for her Ashikabi's forgiveness until he continued, "I see. Well I forgive you." A wordless cry, probably an attempt at a "Huh?!" sounded out from Matsu as she looked at her Ashikabi with an expression filled with dozens of emotions, the most prominent being surprise, hope and the ever-present love. Hanatarou scratched at his head and leaned back a little, gathering his thoughts for a second before he spoke, "I did say I'd accept responsibility, plus I understand why you withheld the recent pieces of information. There's a very good chance I would've rejected you and had you leave if I knew MBI was hunting you. But I already accepted your contract, your bond, whatever you'd like to call it so while I'm very clearly in over my head, I accept your problems as my own." Apprehension leaked into Hanatarou's expression, "Although, I've got to as-"

The understanding Ashikabi couldn't get another word out as he was suddenly glomped by Matsu, her bust threatening to end his life in a way countless men and some women would be envious of. Tears finally flowed from Matsu's face, not sad ones, but tears of pure joy. #02 couldn't contain herself as once again her Ashikabi thought ahead to her reasonings and showed his ability to understand and keep his cool. "Matsu is-" sniff, "-the luckiest Sekirei ali-" sniff," -ive~!" Hanatarou's arms grabbed both of Matsu's shoulders and tried valiantly to free himself from her loving Sekirei's massive bust but his efforts were futile; sure Matsu was amongst the weakest Sekirei physically but she still had surprising strength and there was no way she was willing to let him go anytime soon. If anything, Matsu took his resistance as a sign he wanted to motorboat her. She shook her breasts in his face as finally the lack of oxygen took its toll on the (lucky as fuck) Ashikabi and he blacked out. Matsu's tears finally started to slow and she noticed Hanatarou's limp state and released him only to see his soul trying to escape through his slack mouth, the soul muttering "I have no regrets" as it began its ascent to Heaven. Matsu's face was slapped by her own hands and she screamed, "NOOOOOO! Don't go towards the light Hana-tan, don't go towards the liiight~!"

-~Scene Break~-

Hanatarou's free hand rubbed his temples as he and Matsu continued on their way towards a department store. For the whole walk, Hanatarou had been scolding Matsu over her very inappropriate behaviour, from burying his head in her bust to motorboating herself. Both complaints were heard by #02 but she was in a state of nirvana, unable to fall from her radiant mood. She refused to let go of his arm and snuggled her face on the miffed accountant's shoulder. It was only as she was rubbing her cheek on him that he remembered he had a rather important question to ask his Sekirei. "Matsu, I need you to come down from the clouds. I've got an important question that needs my wise Sekirei's serious answer." Unable to ignore her Ashikabi's request, the Sekirei of Wisdom stopped trying to give herself a static charge and re-adjusted her glasses, awaiting Hanatarou's inquiry. "What exactly did you steal from MBI to bring them down on you like that? Minaka doesn't seem like the kind of guy to remove a Sekirei from his 'game' before it even begins unless it was for a good reason."

Matsu squirmed a bit, uncomfortable with the question. She knew he would have find out eventually but it wasn't the right time for knowledge of the Jinki to reach any Ashikabi, even if it was her own. All the while the perverted glasses withdrew into her world to ponder how to break it to Hanatarou, the Ashikabi in question was examining his Sekirei's reaction with close scrutiny; it was pretty easy to considering Matsu still didn't let go of his arm so she was right next to him this whole time. He concluded the answer to that question was either very personal or it was knowledge that would put him into some form of danger so he piped up, "You don't have to tell me now. Or ever, really. Ignorance is bliss after all."

#02 was struck speechless yet again. _Never let it be said Hana-tan will stop surprising Matsu._ She thought with a wiggle. Taking a page out of a certain sake-drinking love freak, she slinked both her arms around Hanatarou's torso and squeezed her delicious bust against his back, hands exploring her beloved Ashikabi's chest. "Oh Hana-tan, Matsu knows you know this, but Matsu loves you." She snuggled her face in between Hanatarou's shoulder blades, the declaration of love painting the young man's cheeks with a light rosy hue. Of course, they were walking down a rather busy street so such a PDA was gathering a large amount of notice, from men with their own girlfriends drinking in the redheaded Sekirei's jaw-dropping figure to single men and woman looking upon the couple with jealous eyes. Thankfully for Hanatarou, they had finally reached the department store and he used it to his advantage, "Matsu look! We're here! Now, why don't you get to shopping while I go get us some drinks? They've got a good juice stand over by the elevators!"

The Sekirei of Wisdom took a quick moment to contemplate her Ashikabi's suggestion and decided to fire back her own, "Matsu would prefer it if you stuck with me while selecting. This way you can see whether you like what Matsu picks plus Matsu doesn't go over your budget too much?" She wasn't stupid; she knew Hanatarou wanted a quick moment away from her to breathe and recollect his cool front so the pressure towards the mental barriers preventing him from getting closer to her too quickly can reinforce themselves.

Hanatarou figured Matsu knew what his plan was, and while she rose good points, he still went for a change of tactics, "A good idea, but here's another. You shop here while I head up to the electronics department and see what I can do about your computer wishlist? I can't guarantee everything here, but I can set up payment plans for what I can't?" A fantastic move positioning-wise for the young accountant, he put up a solid defence with the part about payment plans so his wallet doesn't figuratively cry anime tears while simultaneously attacking with the knowledge of buying some of what Matsu asked for.

Their eyes met and both saw exactly what they were expecting: two tacticians battling for supremacy in this game of words. One of them was used to getting what he wanted by subtly planting the ideas he needed in the opposition's mind while the other simply didn't want to be parted from her Ashikabi, and the sudden tense atmosphere from the supposed couple took many onlookers by surprise considering they were just acting so lovey-dovey half a minute ago.

Matsu shifted her weight to her left leg and tilted her head in thought. _There's going to be no end to our back and forth. Matsu guesses she'll have to be the adult here._ #02 finally uttered, "Fine." She leaned forward and in an ominously sexy tone whispered, "But you can't run forever." Hanatarou could be classified as a professional poker player if he knew how to play the game. His face didn't twitch, his eyes didn't roam anywhere. Too bad his valiant efforts were worthless, as Matsu could still get a fuzzy read on his emotions. She caught the slight spike of surprise when her words struck a chord in her Ashikabi. With the knowledge she was already gradually wearing down the walls to Hanatarou's heart, she strode towards the clothing department, emphasizing the sway on her luscious hips, catching the eyes of every man in sight including her man and several women. The young accountant slid a hand across his face, shaking his head as if clearing a mental fog and proceeded towards the elevator to reach the electronics department.

Just imagine the timecard from that one Spongebob episode saying **2 HOURS LATER** here.

The rapier-witted pair fortunately traded cell phone numbers on the walk to the department store and they met up at the arranged rendezvous point of just outside the Northern entrance. Hanatarou handed Matsu the receipt and pointed out its delivery date two days from now, "I'm afraid I'm going to be at work during their normal delivery hours so you're going to have to sign for it. Since you specifically asked for all of this, although why without a single monitor I'll never know, you're in charge of making sure it's all in one piece when it gets here." He paused, then remembered a very important piece of information he just said out loud, "Wait, you ordered 3 of their most powerful computers available and you didn't get any monitors? That's like buying a house without bathrooms, why the hell did you do that?" Words cannot express the puzzled stockbroker's confusion; he knew Matsu was one smart cookie, how the monkey did she make such an obvious slip-up, and more importantly how did he not catch it before when he was right there in the store able to buy appropriate displays?

Matsu dismissively waves her hand. A bit of a chore, considering the bulkiness of her clothes bags got in the way while Hanatarou finishes counting what he had left in his wallet for grocery shopping, "Oh, that's alright Hana-tan. A friend of Matsu's doesn't live that far off from our home and Matsu happens to know her late husband has several machines that he unfortunately won't be needing anymore." She bowed her head slightly, giving the fallen a moment of silence then continued, "After we return our purchases, would you mind accompanying me to pick them up?" On a scale of one to Light, this move is a Light-level of deviousness; the friend Matsu speaks of is Miya, the land-lady of Izumo Inn which houses Uzume. She guarantees her Ashikabi meets his second Sekirei and spares his wallet from an even worse beating.

Said Ashikabi whips out his phone to check the time, his head and lips tilting as he ponders his Sekirei's request. "As long as you call ahead and it's ok with your friend we show up kind of late, I don't see why not." He responds. "We best pick up some take-out to eat though; there's no way we can put away your clothes, the groceries and whip something up before it's too dark."

Once again Matsu dismissively waves her hand, "Oh, don't you worry about food Hana-tan. Matsu's friend is a fine cook and she won't mind feeding an extra pair of mouths, as long as Hana-tan is polite."

Hanatarou dead-pans #02 for a moment, then dons a strange pair of sunglasses before shouting out, "Who the hell do you think I am?!"

Matsu returns her Ashikabi's dead-pan, not even dignifying the accountant's admittedly well-timed reference with a verbal response. Hanatarou throws away the glasses, startling some dumpster diving cat and scratches the back of his head, miffed. "Tough crowd..." He mutters and slouches a bit before continuing to walk to the local market.

Delicious time-skips!

Once the call was made and Miya (the landlady mentioned before) OK's a visit from Matsu and her man, plus the groceries were bought and tended to, the pair found themselves at the doorstep of Izumo Inn. Hanatarou took a moment to drink in the sight of classical Japanese architecture and nodded his head in approval; while his own home was more modern, he's a man who appreciates the classics. Matsu stepped into his line of sight and made a show of standing aside and quipped, "Welcome home, bocchan!"

Giving Matsu a repeat performance of his dead-pan, he fired back, "And you thought my references were lame!" The Sekirei of Wisdom just stuck her tounge out at her beloved Ashikabi, linked arms with him and knocked on the screen door once they got in range.

A moment later, the door slid open to reveal a lavender-haired woman dressed in a violet and white kimono. About the same height as Matsu, her hair was laid down, would reach to her waist in length and had long bangs covering most of her forehead. While her figure wasn't as curvy as his Sekirei's, it had the advantage of being very much in shape; lean muscle could be noticed if one looked hard enough. Thankfully Hanatarou had enough tact to not stare so he didn't notice. Hanatarou dipped in a quick businessman-like bow he's grown accustomed to, then he spoke up, "Good evening ma'am. I apologize for bothering you so late, but I believe you are an acquaintance of my friend Matsu here." #02 pouted a bit when she was referred to as a friend but didn't interrupt, "My name is Hanatarou Tanaka. What's yours?" As he spoke, Hanatarou remembers he's not here on business so his manner of speech relaxes.

With a relaxed smile and closed eyes, Miya responds in her serene tone, "My name is Miya Asama. And yes, Matsu thankfully had the good grace to call ahead this time." A "Hrk!" could be heard from Matsu as the verbal jab struck, Miya giggled and continued, "Please, come in. Would you both enjoy some tea?" Ever the good host, the landlady stepped aside, allowing her guests to enter. They removed their shoes next to the door and were greeted by the smell of fish being seared and vegetables being boiled as apparantly they caught Miya as she was cooking supper. "Why don't you both sit down at the table and join us for dinner? I made sure to cook extra when Matsu called so don't worry. You won't steal a meal from a resident." Once #02 and her Ashikabi were seated and given cups of tea, she resumed cooking. As soon as she lifted a ladle to stir the vegetables, a male voice called out from the first floor hallway, "Miya? I heard voices, do we have guests?" From said hallway emerged a handsome silver-haired man who went by the name of Kagari. Those more in the know however, knew him as Sekirei #06, Homura. Dressed in his usual attire of a white button-up shirt with his black coat thrown over his shoulder and black slacks, he moved to the entryway of the kitchen and answered his own question. "Yo. Name's Kagari. Nice to meet you." He extended a hand towards Hanatarou, which he rose and shook. He also aimed his hand at Matsu, feigning ignorance of them knowing each other, which Matsu naturally caught on to and took his hand.

Both guests introduced themselves and Kagari quickly shifted his attention towards Miya, "I'm off to work. Sorry I can't stay for dinner." #06 turned to the guests, "And I'm sorry to you two as well, to have just met you and go. It's never nice to be struck by a hit and run." The group of four share a quick laugh at the joke. Everyone wishes Kagari a safe trip to work and he goes off to help unwinged Sekirei as the Sekirei Guardian.

Miya finishes dinner a few minutes after Homura departs, serves her guests and prepares two other plates. "If you'll excuse me, I must go awake my other tenant."

Once Miya ascended to the second floor, Matsu turned towards her Ashikabi, "Are you ready to meet Uzume, Hana-tan?"

Hanatarou, who had decided to taste-test Miya's food, had his mouth full with a piece of seared salmon so his answer was quite tactful, "Mmh?" An audible gulp is heard, "Damn that's good...Oh yeah, meet Uzume? I didn't know she lives here." For being told he's about to essentially meet his second wife he's taking the revelation rather calmly. Then Matsu's words sunk in and he had to use serious effort to keep his face straight, "I see." As it turns out, Matsu's psychic ability has ranges for power levels, and in very close proximity she can really get a peek into Hanatarou's head. While on the outside he seems calm, his mental state is going through some turbulence. _So I'm about to meet my second alien wife who has super powers. Swell._ "You could've warned me Uzume lived here. I would've thought up something to say!"

Matsu couldn't help the scowl painting her face. _Why does Uzume get special consideration?!_ Granted, #02 broke into her Ashikabi's house without ever letting him know she existed before, but she's still a woman so of course she'd be upset. "Oh~? Want to make a good impression for your second Sekirei hmm~? Matsu guesses one's not good enough for Hana-tan, huh?"

"Oh, don't give me that! I couldn't prepare for so-" Hanatarou cuts himself off as he tilts his head, listening.

Footsteps could be heard, thunking down towards the pair. An audible yawn is heard from Uzume as her and Miya appear before Hanatarou and Matsu. Once #10 finishes her cat-like stretching, she opens her eyes to see Matsu, alive and well and her destined one both looking up at her. She froze, a warmth spreading slowly through her body and growing even slower in intensity. The Veiled Sekirei would've stayed there, staring at Hanatarou if Matsu didn't speak up.

"Uzume-tan~!" The Sekirei of Wisdom ran to her friend and soon to be sister and wrapped her arms around Uzume, slowing bringing her out of her stupor. "It's so good to see you again~!"

#10 fully regained her cognitive functions and hugged Matsu back, delighted to see she really was ok, "Matsu! You're really ok!" She grabbed #02's shoulders and extended her arms to get a good look at her. At the same time, this put Hanatarou in her peripheral vision and her eyes were glued back to him. "So that's your-"

Matsu raised a hand and slapped Uzume's mouth shut before responding with, "**Our **Ashikabi. Don't be shy now, go and say hello!"

Despite Matsu's earlier words of encouragment, Uzume was showing an uncharacteristic display of shyness; she slowly walked over and sat next to Hanatarou, fidgeting all the while. The silence was quickly getting thick and thankfully Hanatarou spoke up to break it before it got too bad, "Well. It's nice to finally meet you Uzume. I'd introduce myself but I already did." He bowed, this time not business-like, but respectfully.

He picked up his head to notice Uzume's light rosy hue had become a full on blush and her hands were over her heart, almost as if she was suffering an attack. Thankfully Matsu was in proximity and could read her Ashikabi's feeling of distress over #10's condition and interjected, "It's her reacting to you Hana-tan. You should wing her before it gets worse." Hanatarou turned towards Matsu, a look asking if it was really alright. #02 smiled a rueful smile and nodded, his concern as touching as always.

The nervous Ashikabi decided the direct approach was the best approach, but not before asking for permission of course, "#10 Uzume, would you do me the honour of becoming my Sekirei?" He kept eye contact and his head raised, despite how embarrassing and twisted the fact he was essentially asking Uzume to marry him in front of his wife.

Uzume's breath caught in her throat. She opened her mouth to answer yes verbally and found words failed her. After she squirmed and grasped at the air for a second, she donned a look that said something along the lines of, "Fuck it." and grabbed her Ashikabi's shirt and pressed her lips to his. Bright white wings, bloomed from between her shoulder blades. If one looked really closely, you would notice the wings seemed to be made of cloth. Once the demand of oxygen was about to become too much for Hanatarou, both Uzume and himself pulled away simultaneously. Uzume rested her head on her Ashikabi's chest before speaking, "#10 Uzume, my silks are yours, forever and ever." Right as the pair caught their breath, Uzume captured Hanatarou's lips again, drawing a small wave of jealousy from Matsu and irritation from Miya. A few seconds in to their second round of tonsil hockey, Miya's aura starts to leak out and become the manifestation that gave her the moniker of "Hannya of the North."

A Hannya mask, with a dark cloud flowing behind it while it opens and closes its mouth floated behind Miya, while she smiled and spoke, "Uzume, you know lewd acts between unmarried couples are prohibited here at Izumo Inn." The mask behind her growled its affirmation.

Uzume and Hanatarou were in the mask's direct line of influence, so naturally they were terrified. Matsu was behind Miya so she got the long end of the stick and just shuddered. "Aw c'mon Miya, I just found my man! Besides, you know a Sekirei winging is past marriage, so can't ya let this one slide?" #10 paused, her voice losing itself for a moment then pressed on, "Besides, I'm not gonna be a tenant here anymore. I've gotta move in with my hubby here~!" She flung herself on Hanatarou snuggling her cheek with his. This whole time, her Ashikabi was muttering very lowly, although an occasional phrase could be heard, like "Why does its mouth move?" or "What the hell is that thing?" or something else along those lines.

Thankfully for the mental health of Uzume and Matsu's Ashikabi, Miya relented in her aura-based pressure and pondered Uzume's words. "Well, since you're no longer a tenant, I can't exactly force my ideals on you, but you can't violate the rules of my house either, as a guest. So I'll just ask you nicely to not do that again." The Hannya of the North's smile widened as she continued, "Now why don't we eat dinner before it gets any colder?"

Timeskips one helluva drug.

After promising Miya they'd be back for the monitors, several additional computers, 2 tablets and Uzume's stuff, Hanatarou and his flock found themselves at their home. After showing Uzume where the bathroom was, her and Matsu went in to bathe together. Hanatarou couldn't be more thankful; the whole walk back, both of them trapped an arm each between their cleavage and his resistance was on its last thread. It also didn't help he apparantly caught another tease with Uzume, who teamed up with Matsu to verbally poke and jab at him all the way. When words got boring, they'd both use their bodies in ways that made it hard to act rationally. He climbed the stairs and went to a room he hasn't been to in a week. Overlooking the east side of what he could see of Shinto Teito, in a spacious room sat a grand piano. Sliding back the piano bench, he rested his hands on the ivory keys. A graduation gift from his parents, he took a moment to relish in this familiar feeling. It's only been two days but it seems like it was in for one hell of a change. Not to mention, since he was part of the Sekirei Plan, his Sekirei had to fight until one of them was the last one standing. Not only would they have to eliminate their siblings, but they'd have to fight themselves at the end too. And he hasn't even seen a Sekirei fight yet. He shook his head and returned to the physical world. He looked hard at the piano in front of him and figured there was no better way to calm his nerves then to play them out. The few songs Hanatarou could play ran through his mind. He eventually decided on a medley of three jazz pieces he enjoyed listening to when he was small (look up Sakamichi no Apollon medley on the toob if you want to hear the pieces). As he started to ping away at the keys, starting a little slow and with a light swing, he quickly withdrew into his own mind and his hands began to play on their own. As the music progressed, his body began to sway more and faster, keeping tempo with the music without a conscious thought. About a minute in, he began to grow bolder, adding more swing and greater contrast between volumes, throwing in crescendos and decrescendos, various accents and legatos, making sure not to slam the keys. Not even twenty seconds later, a grin grew on his face as wide as he could make it as he really let go and just let the music flow. As the big finish loomed, he rose from the bench, almost slamming his fingers on the keys, willing the piano to play louder, faster, just **more**. When the final note echoed through the near empty room, he sank into the bench, placed both elbows on his knees and propped his head on his palms, sighing. He was starting to care about Matsu, and while he didn't know Uzume he could tell she was a nice person at least. He loved his parents dearly, especially since they made going through university so easy on him. But the one thing that holds the nearest and dearest place in his heart, and he'll never admit it to anyone, was music. Nothing brought him out of his shell quite as fast as performing a piece, any piece on his piano. He caressed the keys, a faint smile on his face as he brought down the cover and scoot the bench back to its position just under the piano. He turned around and saw both his Sekirei there, wrapped in towels and dripping wet. From the puddles formed underneath them, Hanatarou could tell they came as soon as they heard him start playing. Wordlessly they both advanced, grabbed a hand each, dropped their towels and dragged him to bed.

A/N: To quote the Clap-trap, "Whoa! You're not dead?!" Yea-no. I'm not. That daydreaming bit? Heh. I bet you were expecting them to fuck right then and there. Oh, and that whole, "Oh they didn't fuck" deal? Heh. Well, here's my attempt at fixing what's broken. Hope it worked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Sekirei, any of its characters or any of the games/comics/other mangas/movies/shows/other fics I reference. Also those of you uncomfortable with lemons and such, you're in luck. Oh, and contains drug references. It won't pop up much but it's there.

Hanatarou's eyes snapped open to see the ceiling of his living room. With a long, drawn out groan he made to sit up and scratch his head. Taking a few seconds to realize his body, save for his left arm wasn't obeying him, he looked down and found himself wrapped like a mummy from the neck down and tied to the sofa. Taking even **longer** to absorb this, he finally became aware he was cocooned to his temporary bed and shouted out, "What the fuck?!" Partially hoping the shout would alert the girls he was awake, he turned towards the staircase to find his view partially blocked by a dining table chair and a white sheet of paper stuck to the back of it.

Squinting his eyes so as to see the kanji, it read, "Hana-tan. Uzume-tan and Matsu are off shopping and then to Izumo to get Uzume-tan's belongings. So in the meanwhile, stick around because Matsu and Uzume-tan are punishing you for yesterday~ Plus, it would be nice if we could 'experiment' together later~" Below the letter, he saw a sketch of what appears to be himself tied up and looking at Matsu who was wearing something ar-

His pupils turned to pinpricks, "Oh Kami no," he muttered under his breath. Hanatarou's struggle to free himself was renewed with astonishing vigour. After about ten seconds of fruitless squirming, he stopped and began to breathe deep, reminding himself that panic in a crisis is the worst enemy. After calming himself down, he began to meditate as best as he could in his odd position. It was best to empty his mind of emotion for now, as the now-stoic accountant attempted to re-gain his usually stellar self-control. After about ten minutes of pseudo-meditation, he started to consider ways out of here. "C'mon, think…I just have to wiggle out? No, my previous struggles would've at least weakened the linen if that was possible." He shook his head then continued talking to himself, "If only I could cu-" Then it hit him. He recalled carelessly dropping a knife a week ago into the depths of this very sofa after making use of it. Realizing he could most likely dig into the leather cushions and find it, his left arm dove as deep as it could and began probing about. It wasn't until he was about to give up hope until his ring finger brushed the back of the blade. Grasping it between his ring and middle finger, he began to shimmy the knife closer until his palm closed around the grip of the blade. The thrill of success and saving himself from the worst fate imaginable shot up his spine as he put the knife to work, cutting the linen trapping him to the sofa. Rolling himself off and loosening his cocoon just enough, he slid out of his overly-snug blanket and at last got to scratch his junk which was bothering him the whole time.

"Good lord, what a fucking relief~" He breathed out in a content tone. The restless Ashikabi stretched fully and took another deep breath. Remembering he wasn't entirely out of the woods yet, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, figuring he'll cross that bridge when he gets to it. Since it's his day off and he's not the most sociable person, he decided it was time to kick back, relax and unwind. He power-walked towards the laundry room and removed the circular rug in the middle of the room to reveal a metal trapdoor. After opening it, he slid down the ladder and reached above himself for the lightbulb's drawstring. Once the room was illuminated, he peered around his man-cave, admiring the view. A desktop with three separate monitors was in the far corner, off and awaiting his return. In the back of the room sat an actual desk, with a bookcase spanning the entire wall filled with various tomes and reference material. To his right stood a weighty trunk kept closed with a cast-iron combination lock (custom ordered and it cost him a pretty penny too). He moved to the trunk and input his combination to unlock it. After removing the lock, he lifted the lid to reveal his contraband. On the left were numerous airtight jars holding specimens coloured green and orange, green and purple or all three of the previously mentioned colours, with all of the nuggets covered in countless white strands of what seemed to be hair but under magnification would turn out to be crystals. In the center was a sizeable glass water-pipe, an actual corn-cob pipe and a black box with a power cord and a plastic and glass-tipped hose coiled on top of it. To the farthest right was a sandwich baggie holding a moderately-sized white rock. Ignoring the rock, he moved towards a jar in the back and to the left labelled "Northern Lights" and grabbed the water pipe.

After heading upstairs to fill the water pipe with hydrogen di-oxide, he carefully made his way back down and shut the trapdoor. If one had managed to break into Hanatarou's house and put their ear to the trapdoor just to eavesdrop, they would hear the occasional snap of a twig, a lighter flicking, a water pipe being put to use and after several seconds of silence, an exhale and a breathy, "Sweet mother of Mary, that is some **good** stuff!"

After half an hour, the elevated Ashikabi emerged slowly from the trapdoor, taking a moment once he was standing to stretch again. He flicked the trapdoor shut with his foot and a loud bang and sauntered to and up the stairs towards the piano room. The elevated musician made his way towards a small bookcase housing several manila folders holding various piano sheet music. After retrieving the new piece he was working on, Hanatarou barely got to sit on the piano bench before he heard a loud knock on the door. Sighing to himself, he dragged himself up and slid his feet to the door and opened it to reveal…

-~Scene Transfer to Matsu &amp; Uzume, approx. 30 minutes before Hanatarou awakens~-

#02 and #10 were standing in Uzume's now former room, going through her closest to bring out her extensive wardrobe and began to sort through it for what should be kept or thrown. Matsu held up a rather racy and lacy pair of panties and turned towards the Veiled Sekirei, fully intent on teasing her to oblivion, "Mou~, Uzume-tan! These pantsu are so da~ring! Were you going to try to seduce Matsu's Ashikabi with the~se?"

Thankfully Uzume has thick skin so she took the jab about **their** Ashikabi in stride, "Ple~ase Matsu, don't tell me you think just 'cause you were first, you get first dibs? In love, it's first to the finish and you know it sister." She said with a sway of her hips and a confident smirk.

#02 opened her mouth to retort but Miya just glided into the room. Being #00/01 and essentially a demi-god of gargantuan power, neither Wagtail could ignore the presence of the mild-mannered Inn manager. She reached out to a pair of see-through lace panties and raised it to eye level, lifting her eyebrows at the sight. Both Matsu and Uzume began to cower, fully expecting a visit from that eldritch horror Miya seems to create from nothing but were surprised to hear her giggle, "It's all right you two. I'm not so presumptuous to try to tell you both what you can or can't do outside of my home. By all means, try to shamelessly seduce your Ashikabi like a pair of animals in heat," she said with a smile. Both of the winged Sekirei laugh nervously, having no choice but to accept Miya's barbed tongue. #00/01 continued, "By the way, are you two sure both of you should be here? After all, you did rob MBI of a Jinki. It wouldn't surprise me if that fool of a Director would sic the Disciplinary Squad after you or your Ashikabi to get it back." The Hannya of the North said seriously.

"Matsu doesn't believe so Miya-tan. Minaka already gave Matsu a pardon yesterday, plus Matsu and Uzume-tan are the first winged Sekirei, and as winged Sekirei we are participants in the S Plan. While the Director is nuts, he wouldn't want any pieces removed from his 'Game of the Gods,'" #02 finished with finger quotes. "Matsu appreciates Miya-tan looking out for us and our Ashikabi though," she added on with a smile. Miya stayed for about twenty minutes, making small talk with her now former tenant and former team member, even going so far as to show Uzume her aura-based abomination after a particularly raunchy line about Hanatarou in the morning. Matsu added comments, laughed and cowered slightly at appropriate times but couldn't help the feeling as if she was missing out on something back home. Once #00/01 had her fun, Matsu and Uzume wrapped things up with the use of #10's veils. With both of them carrying a package (#02 holding the smaller one), the both bounded back towards home.

The way to their house was uneventful, right until they were a block away. Matsu saw it first while Uzume caught on half a second later; a black and red blur with pink on her crown dashed out of their home and took off as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. Both of them had paused on the rooftop, looking at the sight with unveiled confusion then they looked at each other. With sudden vigour, they dashed towards the front door, flicked it aside and #02 was the first to voice her concerns, "Hana-tan! Hana-tan, where are you?!" She shouted out with contained panic. Since both her and Uzume were still moving, he was still alive. Due to the potential injury to her Ashikabi, Matsu hadn't considered simply trying through their telepathic link to find out if he was ok. While the Sekirei of Wisdom was one hell of a force to reckon with from the backlines, once put in the unfamiliar scenario of actual combat situations or the rear being breached and she was at a loss.

To both ladies immense relief, down the stairs came Hanatarou, holding a folder with various papers and wearing headphones to listen to the piano piece he was currently studying played properly. Glancing up then doing a double-take at his newest housemates, he removed the headphones and raised a hand nonchalantly, "Yo. How was th-" He was interrupted by a sudden double glomping. With the wind knocked out of him, the smothered accountant could do nothing but toss the folder in the air and succumb to the pair of worried women lying atop him.

Matsu and Uzume locked eyes and silently agreed on the first question, "What happened?!" Both cried out, the worry prominent in their voices.

Having dragged himself out from underneath them both, Hanatarou gestured for them to take a seat while he gathered the sheet music that scattered a bit. After making sure the pages were all in order, he set the folder down for now and stood before his flock, "Well, it's like this…"

-~Approx. an hour ago, MBI tower (for clarification, this is what drove Benitsubasa here, a prelude to the explanation if you will)~-

Minaka's current secretary, a young woman with hardly a grey hair on her head (and boy was that going to change in the two weeks she'd spend putting up with Minaka until finally quitting. But that is a story for another time.) nodded her head and gestured for #104 and 105, Haihane and Benitsubasa to enter Minaka's office. The Crimson and Azure Sekirei both advanced, the pink-haired spitfire pushing the thick-set double doors open with as much effort a human would exert opening a paper-back book. In front of them sat none other than Minaka Hiroto, clad in his standard all-white suit sans cape (it was hanging on his seat behind him). Looking up to see the provisional Disciplinary Squad members before him as announced, he rose from his chair and took a moment to don his cape before speaking to them, "Ah, #104 and 105. What can I help you with?" He asked cordially and a tad uncharacteristically, due to his usual flair for the dramatic.

Benitsubasa raised a manila folder and tossed it upon his desk, its contents spilling forth; pictures taken from an MBI satellite, depicting a profile of #02 and 10 each, plus another showing the house they were currently sharing with their Ashikabi. Minaka had enough time to glance at each photo before Haihane raised her voice, "We've tracked the pair of thieves to his house over on the western side of Shinto Teito. Would ya like us to go beat 'em up, or somethin'?" She asked as if she didn't care about the outcome despite the two in the room with her being well aware of her thirst for battle. Both #104 and 105 aren't official members of the Disciplinary Squad since Yume survived the incidents at Kamikura Island and remained as leader of the team formerly known as the Sekirei Guardians despite remaining unwinged; she felt no pull towards the official Ashikabi of the Squad, Natsuo so with the Director's permission, she remains a member. The Crimson and Azure Sekirei were both on a trial run so basic enforcement missions where the offense was minor enough to spare the lives of the guilty party were to be their standard fare. This was a wise idea, seeing as Yume would be unwilling to punish anyone unless they've harmed a fellow Wagtail and Karasuba had three settings: Kill, 'docile' and random. Naturally, #04 was too unreliable, or too reliable if one looked at it differently.

Minaka had been silent, giving the provisional members of the Disciplinary Squads' request seemingly serious consideration. He raised his left hand slowly to his glasses, as if to re-adjust them. He formed a half-fist with the hand instead while he began to speak, "#104 and 105, I approve of your zeal towards your work." The Director paused for dramatic effect while both Sekirei basked in the compliment, believing they gained bonus points towards their application to join. He now fully closed his leather glove covered fist. In the now completely silent room, one could hear the sound of the leather being drawn taut over his hand and he continued, "However, I cannot allow the first winged Wagtails to come to harm yet so soon after they found their destined one, especially after going through such great lengths to find him. Can't you see?!" The Gamemaster threw out his right arm while also billowing out his signature cape, his fist still drawn as tight as a bowstring while it partially covered his grinning face. "This was-," Minaka crouches to one knee as if he was part of a hand-egg (American football) teams' huddle, "-destined-" The Director sprang up, his hand actually re-adjusting his spectacles now since they came loose due to his drastic movements, "-by the Gods!" He finished with the right hand shooting skyward, his cape flowing dramatically to a non-existent breeze.

The Director's audience had mixed reactions: Haihane had stopped listening entirely but watched Minaka do what Minaka does best and let out a low, awed, "O~oh…" and began to clap while still donning her claws, making the clap more of a moderately loud metallic chorus of large steel fingernails slapping together sporadically.

Benitsubasa, being the cute little spitfire that she was, predictably lost her temper, "What the **fuck **is that supposed to mean?! We're going to let these two rats go just because they got lucky!?" For a 159cm tall young woman, she sure packed a pair of powerful lungs. Amongst the more callous of scientists and occasional guard in the "R&amp;D" Department of MBI tower liked to joke that #105's lungs are so unnaturally strong due to them robbing her breasts of proper nutrients. One of the slower of the guards even went so far as to make that joke in Benitsubasa's face. One moment he was stupidly guffawing at her non-reaction, the next he was dangling from a head-shaped hole in the ceiling and being rushed to the Emergency Room. The Crimson Sekirei glared at the Director, her face a strangely adorable mix of a scowl and a pout; it was as if she was torn between tearing Minaka's head off or throwing a (destructive) tantrum until she gets what she wants.

The Gamemaster had nearly dropped his happy-go-lucky idiot façade to cover his ears at #105's bombastic outburst, merely laughing heartily at her interrogative, "Now, now. I do understand your reasoning #105, and had the Sekirei Plan already commenced I would've asked **you** to, as the Americans say, lay down the law. However, who are to punish the Ashikabi for a minor transgression committed by his Sekirei before they even met? Such a thing would be just cruel. Besides, I'm afraid I've already given #02 an official pardon for her and #10's actions. The matter is no longer up for discussion. You're both dismissed," Minaka finished with a more serious tone.

Benitsubasa's mix of a scowl and a pout lost the pout factor as she stormed out of the Director's office. Haihane followed after a half-moment's hesitation, a little put-out there was seemingly no more excitement to be had that day. Once #104 and 105 made it to the executive elevator (accessible only by Minaka, Takami, the former Takehito and the Disciplinary Squad), the Crimson Sekirei turned to her Azure counterpart. Haihane, sensing her sister-in-arms wished to speak, moved to face her and wasn't disappointed, "Minaka's full of shit. The DS is supposed to be **the** authority in this stupid game of his and we're just going to let a pair of crooks rob MBI from right under their noses and let it slide like nothing?! Fuck that!" Benitsubasa's characteristic bluntness and fiery passion (read: anger) flowing out of her in droves. Haihane found it hard to keep a straight face after the full of shit line but thankfully her sister-in-arms didn't notice; had Benitsubasa saw the small smirk, it most likely would've delved down a path they've walked before: #105 angrily asking what she was laughing about, #104 trying to brush it off nonchalantly and Beni-hime not letting it go until it eventually devolves into one of their 'little spar sessions.' The last time they went at each other, floors 70-77 of MBI tower had to go through 'heavy renovations.' It had gotten to the point Minaka had seriously considered sicing Karasuba on the wily pair until #04 broke the fight up, non-violently of all ways (but, like the secretary from before, that is a story for another time). "I saw we go strike those two sneaks with the fear of the 'Gods!'" Benitsubasa snarled while slamming her fists together.

Fully expecting the sadistic Haihane to go along for the ride, if only to make some Sekirei sweat at their presence, #105 was surprised to hear, "M~mh, I dunno…I don't think it's a good idea," the Azure Sekirei mumbled with disinterest. Seeing Beni-hime looking at her in open shock, she decided to clarify, "The both of us going, not the fear striking part. I, heh, wanted to actually lay a smack-down. No violence right now is…not gonna happen. Matter of fact, I'll probably head to the training room and stretch my claws a bit." #104 put a steel nail to her lip in thought, splitting it slightly and nodded her head while also jabbing her nose, evoking an "Ow…" and continued, "Why don't you go on your own? Oh, and could you scratch my nose for me? I don't want to wrap my face in bandages again," she chuckled darkly, remembering the previous time she attempted to relieve that itch with bitter-sweet results.

Benitsubasa obliged Haihane in her way; instead of scratching her nose, she gave it a light flick in irritation. The Azure Sekirei had the sudden urge to make her sister-at-arms more true to her moniker "The Crimson Sekirei" but repressed the moment of battle-thirst, recalling the chilling sight of Karasuba approaching with her blade drawn. Plus the last time they went at it, the results had remained the same from before; both were in such a stalemate, the moment one of them lost focus for half a second would result in death. While Haihane remembered fondly how her warrior-blood sang during their fight, she figured it would be towards her benefit if Benitsubasa ran off and risked getting on Minaka's bad side while she remained here obediently.

And sure enough, her assumption that #105 would run off on her mission, regardless if she joined her turned out to be true. As Beni-hime began to bound from rooftop to rooftop in the general direction of West, Haihane's face turned rather Light as she muttered to herself, "Keikaku doori."

-~Following Beni-hime now and Hanatarou's explanation~-

If she'd bother to stop and think for a moment, Benitsubasa would realize this wasn't the wisest idea; ignoring a direct order from the Director himself while trying to gain his approval to join the Disciplinary Squad was actually a** terrible** plan. Unfortunately #105 wasn't one to consider her actions much in a good mood, let alone when she was angry. It was safe to say these thoughts didn't cross her mind at all as she bounded West over the rooftops with the grace and speed only a physically inclined Sekirei could bring forth. Whipping out her MBI-issued phone, she checked the map and saw she had actually passed the house four blocks ago. Stopping on a dime on the roof of some convenience store, the Crimson Sekirei crouched low and sprang up like a taut spring, causing the blonde worker inside to peer at the ceiling in confusion. Doing a couple barrel rolls for the fun of it, #105 raised a hand and tried to twirl on a lightpost, nearly uprooting it entirely due to her forward momentum. After dragging it nearly all the way down, she turned around to notice her handiwork. It took a few seconds to sink in.

"Whoo~ps!" Benitsubasa put her fist to the side of her head without the side ponytail and stuck her tongue out in a rare display of utter cuteness. Thankfully there were no witnesses or else she would've been embarrassed and inclined to silence them. The Crimson Sekirei gingerly pushed the pole upright and shoved it downward until it was partially back in its original position. Stepping back to get a better look at her handiwork, Benitsubasa muttered, "Close enough?" Not more than 2 seconds after she finished murmuring to herself did the thin lid covering the bulb of the pole fall and shatter on the sidewalk. "A~nd that's my cue to leave," she declared.

Re-tracing her path on the ground now, she found herself in front of a two-story modern home. Remembering the front gate and door from the satellite photos of #02 and 10, she hopped over the metal bars and cocked a fist back before recalling she wasn't here to kill anyone. Benitsubasa instead knocked with urgency. After about ten seconds, the door opened to reveal a man about half a head taller with light brown skin tone with black, fairly short hair and dark brown eyes. Dressed in a slightly disheveled white button shirt and black slacks, the man looked down but was brushed aside as the pink-haired, red-eyed girl walked into his home. "Yes? Can I help you miss?" Hanatarou asked calmly, a stoic expression on his face.

With her arms crossed, Benitsubasa turned to the Ashikabi, "Where are they?" She asked shortly.

The calm Ashikabi was in a corner. Having gotten a closer look at her hair as the girl walked past him, he noticed he couldn't see any discolouration at the roots; her pink hair was either natural or a pain-stakingly long and professional dye job. His suspicion was confirmed when she spoke the previous three words. _She's a Sekirei,_ Hana-tan thought. _No doubt about it. But what does she want with Matsu and Uzume? A fight?_ Realizing he was severely outgunned, he decided to comply for now, "I take it you mean #02 and #10? They went out shopping this morning." He stated as he made his way to the kitchen and withdrew a box of strawberries from within his fridge. After washing them he silently sat down at the table and began to savour the small fruits.

Benitsubasa was eyeing him severely, "Well, when are they coming back?" He asked tersely.

With his mouth full, Hanatarou did the polite thing and just shrugged. While #105 withdrew into her thoughts to figure out what to do now, she suddenly found the strawberries in her face. The Crimson Sekirei started and turned to look at the man offering them. Giving him a suspicious look before accepting one, she gingerly pinched a berry then took a hesitant bite. She was a natural carnivore, so she tends to favour meat for her meals; every single course served for her was at least 70% meat of some kind. So it was safe to say Benitsubasa didn't know much about other kinds of food and the various flavours they had. With a muffled, high-pitched squeal, Beni-hime ate the remainder of the first berry and relieved Hanatarou of the rest of them, downing them in quick succession. He chuckled at her reaction, "Well, I wasn't that hungry anyway," he joked in an off-hand manner and strolled towards the kitchen to grab a drink.

Looking sheepish, #105 came forward and held out the box holding the remaining 3 strawberries. With his mouth once again full, Hanatarou attempted to gesture he didn't want them, causing Benitsubasa to tilt her head slightly. _Matsu and Uzume are both full-bodied and beautiful women. And sure they've cute faces but this girl is cuter, if only because of her expressions and mannerisms._ he thought, _Damn, I'm admiring a Sekirei that isn't even mine! How much of a pig can I be? _the self-deprecating Ashikabi added in disgust. He drained the oolong tea and decided to explain himself, "Go ahead and finish them. I was joking but I was serious when I said I wasn't that hungry."

Benitsubasa nodded in false understanding, "Yeah that makes a whole lot of sense," she drawled, words dripping sarcasm, "Look, you're #02 and 10's Ashikabi. So you'll have to do." She stepped well into Hana-tan's personal space and continued, "MBI and the Disciplinary Squad have their eyes on you. Any more rule-breaking and I guarantee you, I will personally hunt the three of you down and paint the walls with your blood!" She threatened with a mild snarl at the end, fully expecting Hanatarou to begin begging for mercy.

Unknown to Benitsubasa, the Ashikabi in front of him wasn't one to buckle under pressure easily. Plus he was sharp, "Rule-breaking? You mean the Sekirei Plan's rules?" #105 nodded confirmation and he continued, "Well, that doesn't make much sense," the figurative fisherman threw a baited hook.

And the pink-haired fish bit, "What doesn't make sense?" She said, her scowl tightening a bit.

"The Sekirei Plan hasn't started yet right? How could anybody break the rules if it hasn't even started yet?" Hana-tan questioned logically, his stoic mask never slipping.

Benitsubasa's scowl faltered as she realized that made sense. Then the anger kicked in, "It doesn't matter! The point is no rule-breaking!" She shouted, nearly temporarily deafening Hanatarou.

"Oh? I take it you and the rest of this Disciplinary Squad are going to go door-to-door of Ashikabis and warn them about yourselves?" Seeing another opening to exploit, the composed Ashikabi wasted no time pouncing on it.

#105 was at a loss, "Wha-, no I-"

"O~h? So Matsu, Uzume and I are special? Don't you know any kind of prejudice is very unbecoming of any kind of law keepers? If you've gone out of your way to see us, you have to go to the rest of the Sekirei and Ashikabi now or we'll seem like MBI's favourite or something," Hanatarou was finding it hard to not burst out laughing, "Once that happens, everyone else is going to be more inclined to rebel. Next thing you know, and you and your squad are facing- wait, how big is the Squad?" He paused in his lecture.

Benitsubasa was finding it hard not to tear out her ponytail in anger and/or run out of the house in embarrassment; everything he said was right, she made a terrible mistake in coming here, "N-nevermind the size of the Squad! I could be refused my spot now!" She wailed in aggravation._ I can't believe I let Haihane talk me into this! I bet she knew this was a bad idea and she just wanted to make her odds better by having me run off like an idiot!_ She thought furiously.

"Ah, you have a provisional spot, eh? Yeah, this isn't going to look good if you have to report this to someone." He said with a sigh, feeling a bit guilty at the amount of sadistic pleasure he felt worming his way into the mind of the red-eyed Sekirei in front of him, _It's like I bullied a kid or something, _he thought in mild shame. "Look, if you just go, I'll forget you were here. Of course that'll only matter if someone from MBI comes to ask me about this, plus the longer you're here, the more time someone has to notice you're missing." He pointed out.

Benitsubasa nodded, once again acknowledging his logic and practically flew out of the house and jumped off without even thanking Hanatarou for his advice. He shook his head, "You're welcome," he called out to no one as he made his way back to the piano room.

-~Back to the Present~-

"After I pointed out it would be best for her to return, she took off like Death was at her heels and then here we are." Hanatarou concluded his explanation, leaning back and propping himself up on his arms from his seat on the floor.

Matsu didn't say anything, opting to simply nod and remain where she was, no doubt biding her time for the upcoming interrogation. Uzume had appeared worried at first but once she realized Hana-tan was A-OK, she merely listened quietly after taking her usual pose of lying belly-down on the sofa, head held up by her palms. Although, she had a question now, "Why didn't you get upset at Pinkie for just waltzing into your house like that bro? I dunno 'bout you but I think that's awful rude." She asked curiously.

"Well, back when I was a kid, I was kind of a hothead. I took no shit from anyone lying down, not even anyone in my family. The obvious exceptions were my mother and father, and of course my grandparents. Heh, I'd never dream of back-talking them even now. I'd get my ass whooped but good!" He said with a chuckle, "Anyway, my mother eventually sat me down on her lap after disinfecting another busted lip from some scrap I got myself into and she told me some words that to this day I try to live by: 'Son, you can't let yourself get riled up every time some idiot does something to offend you, even if they didn't do it on purpose. You're going to get into a fight you can't win one of these days and it may be during a time of your life where you're not responsible for just your life anymore. You have to understand the needs of the few do not outweigh the needs of many, even if it costs you personally.' Ever since then, whenever I was tempted to go at it, I'd remember those words, the look on her face and I'd calm down." He finished and then sighed.

"Hana~-tan~" Matsu was doing her best impression of an angry Miya. While no abhorrent mask appeared behind her, it still got Hanatarou sweating a bit, "Matsu would like to know as to why~ you did not try to call us. Danger was staring you in the face and you just, talked to it?!" Her imitation of the mild-mannered Inn manager changed to a parent giving her unruly son a stern talking to.

The figurative child was no slouch when it came to word-play though, "Well, think about how it would look if I tried to slip away for several minutes unseen? The guilty run Matsu. Then the situation would have gone from barely under control to shit has hit the fan and Izumo Inn is quite a ways from my place; even if I had called you immediately and took off running, how long do you think I would've lasted being chased by a Fist-type?" He pointed out.

#02's mind was uncharacteristically clouded by emotion. While Hanatarou was right, he didn't seem to comprehend how his walking into and out of the jaws of a lion affected her. She couldn't have him taking risks like that; while Sekirei are nearly incapable of having a heart attack, what she was feeling was possibly the closest any Wagtail would get to one, "No, Hana-tan you don't underst-"

"**Matsu,**" he cut her off, "Breathe." Unable to ignore her Ashikabi's request, especially in such a firm tone, the Sekirei of Wisdom closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. As she was exhaling, she left a warm arm wrap around her shoulders while her face was pressed to a warm and firm surface. She cracked her eyes open to see Hanatarou embracing her and Uzume to his chest, "I do understand. The both of you are freakin' out." While he wasn't normally a physical person, the new Ashikabi knew he had to calm them both down somehow. In somewhat uncharted territory, his hands ventured towards the girls' crowns, stroking their hair.

Their reaction was immediate: In perfect synchronization, Matsu took Hanatarou's sternum for herself while Uzume pressed her form upon his back, slinked her arms around his stomach and buried her face in the crook of his neck. #10 was actually fairly calm now that she heard her Ashikabi out but couldn't resist a little closeness when the chance presented itself. #02 managed to keep her emotions from boiling over by fake-punching Hanatarou repeatedly on the chest. Her blows were so soft he had to stifle his laughter. Unfortunately, considering how close they were, Matsu noticed, rose while puffing her cheeks angrily and stalked up the stairs, letting out a noise that sounded somewhat like, "Mrgrgr!"

Hanatarou openly laughed now, although his mirth was bittersweet. Uzume tilted his head back so he could see her before speaking, "You should probably go cool her jets bro. I'll be fine here, 'sides somebody's gotta get our stuff off the doorstep," she suggested with a wink.

The conflicted accountant nodded an affirmative and Uzume unglued herself from his back. She strolled off towards the front door while he rose to the second floor. Approaching his bedroom, he found the door closed. Recalling he leaves the door open due to his habits of living alone, he came to the conclusion Matsu had retreated to his room. He opened the door silently and slid his way in, rather practiced at stealthy movements due to his legacy of a misspent youth. Regardless of his attempt to sneak that shit, #02 heard him, "If you're not Uzume-tan, go away," she said, voice muffled since she was speaking into the mattress.

"Well, ain't that a real mature attitude?" Hanatarou said in a terrible impression of the accent Uzume occasionally has. Thankfully his comically bad imitation made Matsu snort, although she quickly recovered herself and remained face-down on his mattress. Seeing it was going to take more than a couple tasteless jokes to snap #02 out of her funk, he pressed on, "Alright, what's wrong? It couldn't have just been me laughing at your feather blows."

This earned him a real punch to the shoulder and a continuation to the silent treatment. While he rubbed his arm, he pondered on exactly how to snap Matsu out of it. Remembering her rapier wit, he decided to appeal to her logical nature, "Are you really going to be this way?" With a flick of the wrist, the fisherman tosses a baited hook.

"Hmph!" The orange-scaled fish nibbled on the hook, testing it out before biting down.

"You and I both know that's not a healthy attitude to take. We're housemates now, and more importantly, we're bound together," Hanatarou pointed out with a sour taste in his mouth; it was one thing to do this to a stranger, it was another thing entirely to do this to a housemate, even if he barely knew her for a grand total of two days.

Matsu was on to his trick but couldn't deny his logic. She rose from her prone position and looked at her Ashikabi severely, "That's a dirty game you're playing, Hana-tan," she said with a low tone.

Cringing slightly now that he's been called out on it, the ashamed Ashikabi pressed on, "Can't deny I'm right though, can you?"

Almost as if Hanatarou was forcing the words out of her, #02 eventually calmed down and sighed, "No, Matsu cannot."

"Alright. Now I owe a certain childish someone an apology," He earned another punch to the shoulder, "Ow, ok. I deserve that one. Moving on, I'm sorry I made fun of you. That was very immature of me, regardless of how funny it-ow!" The punches kept coming now, except all of them were real and Hanatarou couldn't stop himself from cracking up. The onslaught of blows rained upon him until he found himself lying on his back, trying valiantly to cover himself while his guard shifted constantly due to the strength of his mirth. Eventually Matsu grew tired of inflicting physical pain upon her Ashikabi (even if a side of her certainly enjoyed it) and she opted to just collapse on his chest, now lightly pinching him occasionally. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the Sekirei of Wisdom closed her eyes and just snuggled into his chest. There was still something on Hanatarou's mind though, "So, all is forgiven?" he asked hopefully.

Eyes remaining closed, Matsu answered succinctly, "No."

"Oh, fi~ne. What's it going to take eh? Another shopping spree? Mayb-" Hanatarou was interrupted by Matsu's palm pressing down on his solar plexus as she used it to steady herself as she mounted him. Before he could fully gather his wind and continue his line of questioning, he found his lips unable to speak due to #02 pressing hers on them. The radiant yellow light gave the breathless Ashikabi one hell of a light show as he played tonsil hockey with his Sekirei, _Man that gives the aurora a run for its money._ He thought absentmindedly.

Once Matsu had her fill, she pulled away, fixed her bangs and rearranged her glasses before pressing a finger to Hanatarou's lips, silencing him, "Hana-tan doesn't have to bribe Matsu for her affection. Hana-tan just has to show it to Matsu," She stated matter-of-factly, "Matsu knows you're human. Love doesn't blossom in your hearts due to your untrusting nature. And Matsu understands it'll take a while. But in reality, all a Sekirei wants is the heart of their Ashikabi," She un-mounted Hana-tan and made her way out the room and towards the left, either to the stairs or the music room, Hanatarou didn't know which.

The pensive Ashikabi took a few minutes to himself, just lying there and digesting her words, _Sekirei may look human but they most certainly aren't. Sure they're female so Sekirei appreciate a shopping spree as much as the next gal but they seriously don't have any ulterior motive, _he pondered. _I've got to fix my way of thinking about them. If I keep treating them like any gold-digger I'm bound to make things actually sour between us._ After he finished chastising himself, Hanatarou rose from the bed to make himself a snack and see how Uzume was doing.

Hanatarou descended from the second floor to find Uzume lying down on his living room sofa, sorting through her costumes again. #10 looked up from her belongings and donned a small but radiant smile, eyes on her Ashikabi as he took a moment to stretch out his back at the foot of the stairs. Once he finished popping his lower vertebrae, the spry accountant noticed the Veiled Sekirei had her eyes glued to him. "Afternoon Uzume," Hana-tan said in a cordial fashion, "How do you like your new home so far?"

Uzume locks ankles and raises her legs while she tilted her head on the back of her hand in thought, "Hmm, can't really say since I haven't finished explorin'. I kinda miss the rustic feel Izumo had but appreciate the modern style here more. It suits me, ya know?" #10 finished her incomplete judgment of her new home with a nod and resumed both her small smile and stare towards her Ashikabi.

Hana-tan nodded as well, accepting her answer then moved towards the kitchen, reaching into a high drawer right next to the entrance and pulled out a near-golden, large pineapple. Snagging a knife from the dishrack next to the sink on the way, he made to the farthest part of the kitchen, temporarily out of sight of Uzume. She craned her neck and leaned towards her right, trying to catch Hanatarou back into her line of sight. He sprang up with a cutting board and went towards the counter he left the pineapple on and in front of the pseudo-window he had, in case he wished to watch TV while he worked on the stove or that particular corner of counter. "Would you like some pineapple?" He asked #10, looking up before he began to peel it. Uzume's smile grew and she nodded an enthusiastic affirmative and Hanatarou got right to it, slicing the leaves and ass of the pineapple with two deft strikes. As he stood the fruit up to get to work on its sides, he paused once more and asked, "Would you like it sliced in rings or in wedges?"

With the smile never leaving her gorgeous face, she responded, "Wedges, please~!" With another nod, Hanatarou finished his slicing work and grabbed the toothpick box from the window in front of him and began to impale two wedges to a toothpick. An idea struck him as he completed his pineapple-kabob and he moved towards his spice cabinet above the stove. From within, he withdrew two bottles, the larger one holding a red liquid and the smaller a red powder. He glazed a kebob with the liquid, moved to Uzume's prone position on the couch and extended his hand holding the toothpick in offering. The Veiled Sekirei grabbed the proffered snack with a diabetes-inducing "Thank you~" and bit into a wedge. The red liquid had the consistency of soy sauce but tasted of a combination of spicy-mild sweetness that blended with the pineapple's own natural sugar made her wiggle and moan her approval of the flavour. "What is that sauce called bro?" She asked after making the second wedge disappear.

Hana-tan came back with the bottles in one hand and the plate of kebobbed pineapple on the other, "It's called chamoy. And the chili powder here is tajin." He responded, gesturing towards the smaller bottle. He dressed another pair of wedges fully and once again offered it to Uzume who instead of taking it by hand simply ate both wedges right off the toothpick and had her tongue struck with a spicier but well-received flavour. "It's so good! Reminds me of wasabi but with more of, well more!"

Hanatarou chuckled, handed her the plate and left the bottles on the floor next to her, "Go ahead and enjoy, I'm going to serve myself and Ma-" A dressed pineapple kebob entered his field of view and interrupted him as he peered at it mildly cross-eyed.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Open wide already!" Uzume said after a few seconds of him silently wondering how she did that so quickly. Hana-tan moved his lips slightly, as if he wished to protest but then decided against it and ate the pineapple; it was his favourite fruit and the spices reminded him of his family as well so how could he refuse? Once he chewed into the golden jewels of juiciness, he inhaled sharply and paused to enjoy the moment. He nodded his thanks to Uzume, pantomimed chopping the rest of the pineapple and gestured he'll be right back. Once he carved the bottom chunk and distributed it evenly onto two plates, he took a fresh pair of chamoy and tajin in each elbow as he balanced a plate on a palm. As he came out of the kitchen, Uzume giggled at his stature and leaned towards the left as her Ashikabi took the stairs two at a time, shamelessly gazing at his rear as he went.

Once Hanatarou got to the second floor, he paused, wondering where Matsu had decided to set up her base of operations. His ears caught the sound of a screwdriver working to find purchase on a screw, followed by the soft cursing of #02 as she realized it was the wrong type of screwdriver. Hana-tan entered the second room on the left of him to find the Sekirei of Wisdom fiddling with one of six towers (two of which sat upright and three others lying about open and salvaged from) with three monitors up but powered down. He then realized she had set up in his piano room.

"Hey Matsu, would you fancy a break and a snack?" Hana-tan offered.

Matsu put down the screwdriver, rose and walked to take up her beloved Ashikabi on his suggestion. Hanatarou began to dress the fruit for #02 just like he did for Uzume and offered the complete snack to Matsu. Like #10 did the second time she opted to eat the pineapple out of his hand. The Sekirei of Wisdom reacted much like Uzume did and delighted in the blend of flavours the pineapple struck her taste buds with. "This is wonderful!" She exclaimed after the fruit vanished.

Hana-tan smiled and said, "Glad you enjoyed it. Come on down and join me in the living room." He made his way to the staircase, Matsu tailing him without missing a beat. #02 joined Uzume by the sofa while their Ashikabi moved to a cabinet by the television that turned out to be a turntable as he opens the lib, knelt to open the doors to pull out a record (look up Roar of '74 on the toob if you want to hear it) and set it on its resting place with the needle on it.

Once he settled on a comfortable background noise, he gathered his plate, tossed a cushion on the floor and settled on it to begin devouring his snack. Barely having time to pop the first wedge in his mouth, Uzume spoke up, "Hot damn, this band vibes real good~!" Matsu withheld her opinion, waiting to hear more before passing judgement; she wasn't much for music but she could tell the drummer was a real talent (this **does** represent the views of the author. I'd bow at his feet and cry out "I'm not worthy!").

Hanatarou's normally stoic face suddenly filled with life, his eyes with a fire as he began to speak of one of his idols, "Hell yeah, these guys vibe real good!" The normally polite and slightly reserved speech-style was dropped immediately to a blunt, unrestricted dialect, "This band here is named after the drummer Buddy Rich. And let me tell ya ladies, this guy doesn't fuck around. He plays like he's running 3 different metronomes set to their own time signature in his head simultaneously! He's a damn music legend!" Both Sekirei were caught by surprise but recovered themselves quickly. They delighted in the sudden animation of their Ashikabi and the discovery of another point of depth to him. He began to almost rant about him, detailing his various live performances and various albums. He went into detail about the famous performance had when he had a heart attack on stage and decided to play through it. This had both Wagtails enthralled by the story. Both of his Sekirei rarely interrupted with questions but for the most part listened. Once he finished speaking, he rose from the floor and went to the basement to manage his stocks for a few hours. Before he did so, he directed Uzume to a room so she could store her stuff (not _her_ room, per se since she admitted with a wiggle of her eyebrows she would rather sleep with Hana-tan) while Matsu resumed work on her towers.

Once his work was completed, the young accountant climbed up to the second floor to find Matsu having finished setting up her workstation and already browsing through what appeared to be Sekirei dossiers. Deciding to simply leave her be, he sat on the piano once again and began to play a classical piece (Kreisler's Love's Sorrow, piano arrangement by Rachmaninoff). Much calmer and graceful compared to his performance yesterday, his hands danced on the keyboard. Unbeknownst to him, Matsu stopped her information gathering immediately to listen once again to hear talented Ashikabi perform. Uzume also rushed into the room silently and lied down on the hardwood floor, her head perched on both of her hands as she joined the audience. Quite the show they were given as well; it wasn't fierce like the last time, but that somehow didn't take away from the intensity. During the crescendos Hanatarou swayed his entire body to the beat, his hands lifting from the keys in a snappy manner after every chord. It was as if instead of just pushing the keys to produce the sound, he was also pulling it out of the piano with the sharp upward flicks of his wrists and fingers. On the decrescendos his movements lessened dramatically, as if he was a solitary leaf on a breeze even slower than 1MPH. The sharp pulls of his digits were still present but he had the presence of mind to not let that affect his volume level. As the last chords reverberated throughout the house, Hanatarou slowly raised his head to peer out of the glass doors leading to the balcony and gazed outside, clearly absorbed with his thoughts. He suddenly rose after a minute of stillness and turned to have his audience show their approval. Uzume got to him first so she took the initiative. Bright white wings erupted from in between her shoulder blades as she locked lips with her beloved Ashikabi. Once #10 pulled away Matsu wasted no time in having her turn, the sunflower-yellow of her wings as the mood lighting. Both Wagtails took a side each and rested their heads upon his shoulders, enjoying the closeness to their destined one. While Hana-tan was no stranger to women, it's another thing entirely when you've got a woman on either side of you whose physical beauty would give Aphrodite a run for her money. It goes without saying his heartrate jacked up by double-digits and his instinctual side begins to question his rejection of a three-some men around the world would commit genocide for.

Needing to retreat in order to gather himself before he gives in with a shout of "Fuck it and fuck the both of you," he began to speak without even thinking about it, "How about the both of you get dressed for bed?" A good line, except he forgot who he was talking to.

"Mou~ Hana-tan, Matsu believes you mean _un_dress for bed." #02 breathes out. In a maneuver of synchronization the male (and occasional female) human would black out from blood loss, both Sekirei simultaneously began to strip.

With some cracks beginning to show in his calm façade, his logical mind was straining to keep its cool. "Well, I'll be waiting for you both in bed then." Once he finished speaking Hanatarou knew he was about to be punished (if you can call it that) for it.

Before he could make a hasty retreat, he found himself pulled back by Uzume's cloths wrapped around both his forearms and was turned around to catch an eyeful of both Wagtails in their near naked glory. _Good God I'm going to have to go back to daily meditation or I am going to lose it in a month minimum._ Hana-tan thought with a tinge of nervous energy. Uzume's arms snaked around his neck as she tip-toed up to be about 2 inches from his face. "Like what you see, hmm~? All you have to do to make it all better is just say 'I want you.'" She was referring to the beginning of a protrusion in his slacks.

Hanatarou was finding it hard to keep himself in control, "Can you please not though? I'm going to give in and spend the rest of my days indulging myself with you two and then we're going to be bankrupt and homeless."

Uzume took the soft scolding in stride and let him go, "Hey, ya can't blame a girl for tryin' to seduce her husband, ya know~" she said as she stuck her tongue out lightly, began to strut with an exaggerated sway of her luscious hips and made her way to the bedroom.

Matsu opted for silence as she stepped forward, locked arms with Hana-tan and walked him to bed.

A/N: Yeah. Not much was done except some minor character development and fluff 'n shit. Don't worry folks, shit's gonna go down, or at least lead into it in the next chapter. Like it? Hate it? Let me know or don't. I'll continue regardless.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A/N: Blah, blah, I don't own anything, blah, blah don't sue me penniless. I mean really, it's being posted in a fanfiction site, do you think I'm getting paid for this (or anyone would pay to read it for that matter)? I'm issuing a challenge to my readers: I want you folks to find and point out the references. Let me know which ones you catch in a PM. Also, the bottom AN will address some of the obvious points I believe readers will criticize me over, so before you post a scathing review I undoubtedly deserve, read that first to see if I covered my bases right.

If he stopped to think about it, this was a rather suspicious situation: Hanatarou was at the base of a set of old, worn stone steps alongside a mountain peppered with budding sakura trees. The wind was unnaturally loud, with its flight just short of a roar in his ears despite the breeze being rather mild if the swaying of the tree limbs were to be believed. The amount of sunlight was akin to a mid-spring noon, yet there was no sun in the sky or clouds, for that matter. The normally perceptive accountant didn't take note of any of these details and began his trek up the stairs. Some ways up, he did notice Komainus starting to appear on either side of him. Not much longer after the guardian dogs began to appear, Hanatarou found himself right at the tori (gate). The shrine he ascended to was nothing short of magnificent, and if he'd bother to pay attention to it he'd be in silent awe. There was a distraction present however: He couldn't see her face at all or her upper torso for that matter. It was as if those parts of her were being seen through a nearly obtuse glass window. What he could tell was she had straight, long, raven-coloured hair, was of slightly above average height and was wearing a traditional red shrine maiden skirt. With the strangest feeling he's been here before, he stopped as whatever was compelling his subconscious ceased its peculiar pull.

Hanatarou wasn't aware of it due to the unnatural blur surrounding her, but apparently the maiden turned around and noticed him, "Ah, there you are. I was afraid I didn't enter your dreamscape after all. My apologies on having you climb up here. I wasn't aware your dreams could be so detailed yet massive."

A puzzled look covered the apparently dreaming Ashikabi's visage, "Entered my dreamscape…?" he questioned softly and slowly.

While Hana-tan couldn't see it, the miko frowned, "Yes. If I were a more capable psychic I would've had you appear within the shrine so we could speak properly. My name is-" right as she said who she was, the wind's volume rose drastically and completely drowned her out but she went on, oblivious to whatever caused the interference, "and I-" that was all she got out before Hanatarou suddenly began to rise and he gazed up at the sun, which for some reason was actually in the sky this time, the light eventually drowning out everything.

With a sharp intake of breath, the now wide awake stockbroker found himself in bed, the psychic dream already partially forgotten. One detail did stick out and he quietly voiced his concern involving it, so as to not disturb his gorgeous bedmates, "What the hell was I doing at a shrine?"

-~Barathrum~-*

On the afternoon following what turns out to be the fifth time he had that dream, Hanatarou and Matsu were seated at the table playing Chess. Matsu brought it up and while she was a novice to the game, #02 still managed to not only beat her Ashikabi, but beat him fairly consistently. "I don't know what's with that dream. It just keeps happening. Check." He spoke in a resigned tone initially but ended a little confidently, having placed his remaining knight in a favourable position, in which Matsu had to re-position her king but then lose a bishop.

#02 took a moment to lean forward, as if she needed to look at the board more closely when in reality she just wanted to expose her cleavage to her Ashikabi, who gave an appreciative glance towards the valley of male's bane, "Matsu has a theory. It sounds as if a Sekirei who isn't quite compatible with Hana-tan is reaching out to you anyway. It's possible her destined one rejected her, died or has left the city and she is now making due with you," she said, re-seating herself and moving her king out of harm's way.

Hanatarou took a few seconds to digest his partner's words before answering, "What makes you say that, the unnatural volume of the wind?"

The Sekirei of Wisdom nodded, "It's the only thing Matsu believes it could be."

The pensive accountant raised a hand to his chin, scratching it lightly, "That's one possibility. I've thought of another," The technologic sorcerer repositioned her glasses in anticipation while Hana-tan paused to take a breath, "The Sekirei in my dream was basically sending out a signal to me, right?

"Right."

"Let's say, for example she's a radio station. The volume of the wind in my dream was static because her signal strength is too low-"

"-Which means the Sekirei isn't making due with Hana-tan, she's just not a powerful psychic. The distance and her lack of signal strength explains the wind's interference," with a smile reserved for those who've come to a great realization or discovery painting her gorgeous face, Matsu lightly slammed her fist on the table and continued, "That's it!"

"Ma~ybe not quite," Hanatarou interrupted #02 before she could get ahead of herself, "Let's not discredit your theory just yet. Considering I'm the radio receiving the signal, I could be set to a slightly different frequency that's close enough to not get me a different station but far enough to also explain the interference. You could be right as well; I just came to a different conclusion," intensifying the scratching of his chin, he pressed on, "Unfortunately we've got no real way to find out which idea's right."

"Not quite, Hana-tan. There is a way to tell which of our theories is correct." Removing his hand from his face, the attentive Ashikabi tilted his head slightly, awaiting the answer, "We get the Sekirei close to you and see how strong her reaction to you is."

"By reaction, you mean the flushing of the face, sweating, heavy breathing-"

"-Mild disorientation, increased sensitivity to physical sensations, dilation of the pupils. Yes, all of that," Matsu nodded in confirmation.

Hanatarou grunted softly and returned his gaze to the game board, returning to his thoughts on tactics now that his mental palette has been cleansed. He moved a rook forward and put the Sekirei of Wisdom in check again.

#02 wasn't quite finished with the conversation yet and spoke up, "What do you want Matsu to do?"

Hanatarou raised his gaze from the board to his Sekirei, "You mean, do I want you to track her down?"

"If only Hana-tan was as good at reading Matsu's intentions on the board, Hana-tan would be winning," she quipped with a shit-eating grin.

"Yeah yeah, talk all the trash you want when you're not in check sweetheart," he fired back challengingly.

Matsu made the only move available to her, quickly losing a bishop afterwards then following up with her queen taking a pawn in revenge and placing Hanatarou in check. What wasn't immediately obvious was the diagonal route his previous move opened up to his rook and #02 counted on her Ashikabi missing that. Taking the time the pensive accountant was using to ponder his next move, she continued the previous tangent of their conversation, "Back to our previous point, yes. Would Hana-tan like Matsu to track her down?"

The stock-broker temporarily turned tactician leaned back in his seat and decided to think on the ultimate internet lurker's question before anything else. It took him the better part of a minute before he answered, "No. As much fun as it would be to have another alien wife with out of this world beauty, I'm not too keen on triple timing, plus with work I only have so much time. To add on _more_ to that, dating three girls simultaneously would be a slow and painful death sentence for my savings. I've still got the future to think about, y'know? Besides, the important question would be whether you and Uzume would be ok with another girl taking my time and attention. It's bad enough you have to share with each other, but with a third? And with what you mentioned about how an Ashikabi's power increases based on how many Sekirei he's bonded to, how many more will I attract then? I understand you Sekirei seem to have passed kindergarden's sharing class with flying colours but this is a little different than that," he finished with a matter-of-fact tone.

The whole time her Ashikabi went on his little tirade, Matsu gave him her undivided attention. If they were being monitored by MBI scientists, some of them would assume it was the mere Sekirei conditioning to listen to their 'master' no matter what. While it was true initially, #02's reasons changed overtime; Hanatarou always, _always_ thought ahead. He could spout out various scenarios off the top of his head, his experience in the real world gave him insight to potential problems which he voiced plus he wasn't above critique. The far-seeing accountant stressed to Matsu on their first discussion to not be afraid and tell him if she didn't agree with something he said or to throw in her two cents. He particularly believed in bouncing ideas off another brain, as they would give a different perspective and potentially see a problem he overlooked or just couldn't notice and therefore couldn't account for. To say the man had a good head on his shoulders was a tad of an understatement, although he'd be the first to say otherwise publicly, while the moment he got within the privacy of his home would proceed to stroke his ego shamelessly.

_Matsu guesses he doesn't know she'll come to him on her own given enough time. But will she have the time though? Shin Tokyo isn't exactly a safe place right now, least of all for naïve Sekirei trying to find their life mates, _#02's thought process were already ahead of her internal dialogue and a plan came to fruition. _Now, it's just a matter of getting Homu-tan in on it. As soon as Matsu finishes this game she'll retire to her work station and call him about it. Matsu doubts he'll say no. _With an internal nod of satisfaction, the Sekirei of Wisdom finally got around to answering her Ashikabi, "While Matsu can't speak for Uzu-tan, Matsu doesn't see anything wrong with Hana-tan winging another Sekirei. Matsu thinks of what would happen if Matsu was the one looking for you, she was your first and if Matsu were to be rejected just because of a sister being selfish, it would be devastating. Plus, the reason she is calling out to you through your dreams is the same reason Uzu-tan was; you and her are destined to be together," while Matsu was talking Hanatarou had made his move and the game continued. It took #02 eight more moves but she forced her Ashikabi into checkmate, excused herself to her work station and left Hanatarou with a hand on his face, shaking his head in disbelief.

Rousing her various towers from sleep, Matsu checked her live map of the city detailing other Sekirei positions and conditions. So far, not a single Wagtail has been terminated, although a few scraps have happened here and there. There was a noticeable amount of wingings in the southern and eastern part of Shinto Teito, with the majority bonding to a single Ashikabi on each side. Taking mental note of this, #02 picked up her cell phone and proceeded to dial a contact named "Homu-tan."

-~three days later~-

Hanatarou finally got to his street after walking back from work. A pleasant sight for sore eyes, he trudged on with added zeal after seeing his destination. Right before Hana-tan got to his front gate, he heard a pair of shoes clack on the sidewalk right behind him. He turned around to see a masked person with white hair and a black slacks and overcoat with a white button-up shirt underneath. Before he could chastise himself for not noticing someone so close to him, the man pulled down the mask and stepped forward into the light to reveal himself as Kagari, who Hana-tan vaguely recognized as a resident at Uzume's former home Izumo Inn. Figuring Kagari wished to speak with him, Hanatarou turned around fully and waited.

"Good evening Tanaka-san. Would you mind if I come in?" Kagari asked with a cool smile and a small bow. The weary Ashikabi contemplated for a second just having the impending conversation on the street but realized he hadn't overlooked Kagari on the street but rather he just got there, as if he appeared like magic. Or at the speed of a certain secret he was forced to keep on punishment of whatever MBI would do to him.

Catching on to whatever matter Kagari wished to speak of should be done in a private location, he nodded his consent and opened the gate and barely got in front of the door before it was thrown open by Matsu. "Good, Homu-tan's on time," #02 said after giving her Ashikabi a welcome-back smile and she held the door for both men as they followed the respective traditions of "I'm back" and "Pardon the intrusion."

Sharp as ever, he noticed "Kagari" was called "Homu-tan" and decided to question it later; normally he would insist on speaking outside because #06 wasn't entirely who or what he said he was but since Matsu seemed to not only trust, but was expecting him, he let it slide. Walking into the living room, he saw Uzume lounging on the sofa (and decently clothed thankfully), laughing at a certain cat and mouse going about their cartoony antics. Matsu mysteriously disappeared upstairs without the customary inquiry as to how his day was and/or a romantic manga (not H stuff anymore, he convinced her to stop that after nearly killing an older postman by heart attack) cliché. #10 rose from her seat to pick up Matsu's slack, tightly embracing him and asking how his day was.

The weary Ashikabi merely sighed deeply. Uzume returned a sympathetic look, took one of his arms and began to lead him towards the kitchen, "My poor, tired ma~n! I hope you're not too tired ta cook for yourself. And us too maybe?" She kept her face out of Hanatarou's sight so he wouldn't see her biting her lower lip to prevent a snicker.

A (mostly) mock sigh escaped his lips, "Gee, su~re. Why don't I cook for 'Homu-tan' and the entire team of Manchester United while I'm at it?" He said, his words tearing apart at the seams with sarcasm.

A regular (and very enjoyable in her opinion) game started between Uzume and Hana-tan. "We~ll I dunno 'bout those fellas but could Homura join us? Ple~ase?" Having already led Hanatarou to the stove, she locked her fingers on his chest as she questioned him sweetly.

Hanatarou gasped dramatically, "Why Uzume, are you implying I wasn't about to ask our guest if he would join us for dinner?! What kind of terrible host do you take me for!?" He asked in a false hurt tone.

Homura decided to join in the conversation, "Um, if this is a bad time I can come back..." he suggested as he tried to bow out of the impending domestic drama, feeling rather confused since over his and #10's previous phone conversations she gushed nothing but good things about her Ashikabi.

Uzume couldn't contain her mirth and broke out into laughter while Hana-tan couldn't keep the shit-eating grin off his face. "It's all goo~d Homura! Hanatarou's just a big, witty meanie is all. I can't believe he wanted ta mess with ya so bad though~" #10 sighed in false exasperation, seeing an opportunity to turn the tables on her Ashikabi while #06 tallied this off as the fourth weirdest day in his head (third being told by Takehito about his X and Y chromosomes sometimes loses the Y-factor. The second being Kazehana drunkenly mistaking Homura for Minaka, probably due to the silver hair and giving him the most intense match of tonsil hockey he had at the time which ended with #03 then flying away wailing something unintelligible while the Flame Sekirei was left on the floor, a sputtering, red-faced mess. The gold medal goes back to Homura's first day on the job as a host. Let's just say he learned a valuable lesson in looks can be deceiving).

"Oh?" Hanatarou grumbled, "Throwing me under the bus, eh? This calls for punishment!" He began to jab at her sides lightly.

Uzume did an odd mix of a yelp and a laugh then just kept right on laughing with an occasional "Don't!" or "Sto-" and other things along those lines thrown in. Once she was left on her knees breathless from laughing Hanatarou came out of the kitchen with both arms over his head, "A~nd the winner by T.K.O. is Hanatarou Tanaka~!" He began to imitate a crowd cheering and bowing to the imaginary audience.

A low guttural growl that would remind one of a lioness defending her kill from scavengers emanated from the kitchen. The overconfident Ashikabi did an about face only to be constricted by two veils and 'slammed' onto the sofa. Before he could finish gathering himself, Hanatarou saw Uzume already airborne and on a collision course. She landed like a wrestler would on him, forcing out an "Oof!" then straddled him before locking lips, an action she relished. Initially, Hanatarou had set some ground rules for living here and his lips being off-limits was one of them (read: was). It had been no more than two days since he decided to lift said rule, mainly because it didn't do any good past the first two weeks. The purest white wings brightened the room for a few seconds until Hana-tan patted Uzume's thigh, signaling his need for air. She reluctantly complied and also got off him so he could sit up, only to claim his lap once he settled back into the couch. Hanatarou quirked his right eyebrow before speaking, "Uzume, not in front of company. It's fine to be shameless when we're alone but we have witnesses..." he 'chastised' his flirtatious Sekirei, apparently going back to the original game of messing with the guest.

The Veiled Sekirei merely slid a hand to the back of his head to bring his visage closer while she moved her face to his simultaneously, "I want him ta look Ashikabi-sama..." she breathed out huskily.

Finally Homura protested playing the unwilling voyeur, "Can you two not though? I've got work in just under an hour and I'd appreciate it if we could get to business!" the Flame Sekirei cried with a dab of nervous energy.

Hanatarou then lifted Uzume bridal-style and set her down on the sofa as he moved towards the kitchen, talking as he went, "Well then Homura, I hope you don't mind if I cook as we ta-"

"W-wait! Matsu is al~most ready!" #02 cried out, finally emerging from the second floor. Hana-tan turned to ask her what she meant but instead had his question answered before he even asked: Down the stairs came Matsu carrying a large dry-eraser board, complete with wheels, hobbling a step at a time. The irate Ashikabi rushed to assist her, earning a grateful look from the physically weakest adult Sekirei (A/N: Kuno might be weaker? Hard to say, she can fight without assistance, sort of). With his assistance, they set the board at the spot she directed, which was by the TV in the corner. "Phe~w, thank you so much Hana-ta~n! You really took a load off Matsu's back. Now c'mere so I can show you my gratitude~" Matsu advanced slowly towards her Ashikabi, eyes unseen behind the lens glare as she made weird grabbing motions with her hands.

Homura's patience ran out. He summoned three flaming orbs that ominously orbited a single finger as he spoke up, "Can't you be serious for once you lavicious witch? I haven't got all night to watch you try to get in your Ashikabi's pants!" Homura threatened #02.

Matsu made puffed her cheeks before growling a rebuttal, "Mrgrgr! It's not fair Uzu-tan gets all the attention!" #10 giggled in the background, Hanatarou had the decency to look embarrassed on the way back to the kitchen and #06 merely shook his head and face-palmed. Calming down a bit, she continued, "But it's OK! Hana-tan will pay Matsu back tonight~, huhuhu~h!" Homura shook his head while in the background Hanatarou muttered something under his breath that sounded something like "Who's doing what now?" but was too distant to be heard.

Matsu then moved in front of the board and turned it around to reveal a map of Shinto Teito, with Hanatarou's home in the West and Izumo Inn in the North-East marked, along with several smaller markings scattered across the city. "Firstly, introductions. Hana-tan, this is #06 Homura, the Flame Sekirei. He was asked by the Director of the Sekirei Plan, Takami Sahashi to watch over the unwinged Sekirei as they roam the city and try to find their destined ones. As you can see," #02 jabbed a finger at the border of the map and traced a circle around the city, "it's a big city for just one Sekirei to handle. As a matter of fact, Matsu seriously doubts the wisdom of Takami-tan merely asking one Sekirei to do this. But Matsu is getting off-track. So Matsu had the idea for Uzu-tan to join Homu-tan on patrol while Matsu will them assist via surveillance."

Taking a moment to rise from his leaning position on the kitchen counter, he spoke up, "Yeah, question. When you say surveillance, do you mean satellite, security cameras or GPS?" This was a solid and understandable question. Hanatarou hadn't seen Matsu behind a keyboard and several monitors yet; he felt it was rude (plus he enjoys staying sane) to snoop on whatever caused her to occasionally cackle like an old lecher.

Thanks to her lens glare yet again, the approving look in #02's eye went unnoticed, "All of the above, Hana-tan. Matsu will use MBI's Sekirei tracking system to get their general location then Matsu will zoom in, so to speak, via any security cameras near-by. Or Matsu will actually zoom in with the satellites, depending on what's needed," she explained.

"Another question," he got out, "I've only met three Sekirei, but from what I understand even the weakest of you are stronger than a grown human. Is it _really_ necessary for you lads and ladies to need a Guardian, let alone a pair of them?"

This time Homura answered, "While all Sekirei received a crash course on human culture, economics and such, most are still rather naïve. It won't really occur to most of them if a group of thugs or yakuza approaches them promising a good time is in actuality a trap. Not only that, but as has been proven by a pair of Ashikabi, some aren't above forcibly winging Sekirei," #06's last line came out as more of a snarl than anything.

With a hand partially covering his mouth, he nodded slowly, "It's a nice plan of action, plus I see why it's needed now. My only problem with it is, even if you divide the city cleanly in half, it's still going to leave half a city for a single superhuman to patrol. That's pretty ridiculous, even if Matsu were to have a radio and give them live updates to what's happening in the city. Although, considering what you have to work with, it's very good," he finished and made his way within the kitchen to finally get started on dinner.

"Uh, Hana-tan?" Matsu called out.

"Yeah?" answered the disembodied voice of her Ashikabi, along with the clatter of a few pots and pans.

Now for the reason she held this meeting, "Do you approve?" she asked hopefully.

The clang of metal on metal paused as Hanatarou's head appeared in the window, his face puzzled, "I could've sworn we just went over this?"

Comprehension lit up Matsu's face, "No, Matsu meant to ask do you approve of Uzume-tan and Matsu assisting Homu-tan?"

Now he stepped back into the living room, tilting his head to show his growing confusion, "Approve of you two helping Homura? Why do you ask?"

"Well, as our Ashikabi, what Hana-tan says, goes. So Matsu is asking Hana-tan's permission to assist Homura," she states matter of factly, as if she knew his answer already and her asking was merely a formality.

Hanatarou puts a hand under his chin and begins to nod his head, "Yea-no. I don't like that."

The reaction from the Sekirei population in the room is immediate: Matsu gapes at her Ashikabi in shock and mild hurt, Uzume drops her ever present smile and Homura is still; it's not a natural sort of stillness where you still fidget just a bit if you look closely enough, but the absolute stillness one finds before a major storm. The Sekirei of Wisdom recovers first, "Wh-why not?!"

Starting with a terrible accent then speaking normally after his first line, the witty accountant replies, "Elementary my dear Watson! You and Uzume are sentient beings, more than capable of deciding what you want to do in life. You don't need my permission to do as you please, as long as you don't inconvenience others. So yeah. This asking my permission thing? Kind of pointless, if you catch my drift," he said airily. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like t-"

Hanatarou was unable to finish speaking due to excessive glomping via flying Matsu (turbo boosted by Uzume's veils). "Mo~u, Hana-tan, Matsu loves it when you treat us so nicely~" #02 purrs while attempting to create the largest static charge Sekirei-ly possible with her Ashikabi's chest acting as the rug. _Though it would be nice if you finally got intimate with us~!_ She thought to herself in a mildly cross thought tone.

Said Ashikabi once again found himself winded due to being struck by a projectile-based Wagtail and was unable to respond for a few seconds as he refilled his lungs with air. "Good lord, you gals are going to be the end of me…" he said, "Although, from a guy's standpoint, it's not the worst way to go, death by overzealous glomp." He snickered at Matsu's relentless snuggling, "Alright, get off me already! I'll never get dinner started and then we'll go to bed hungry, plus Homura has to go soon."

Once the Perverted Glasses got off him, the Sekirei of Fire approached the floor-ridden accountant and offered a hand while chuckling lightly, "I'll have to pass on dinner I'm afraid. While you two were having your moment, I got a call from Takami. A batch of Sekirei were just released a few minutes ago and I'd like to head out and do what I can to see them off safely. Don't worry," he added hastily once he saw Uzume begin to rise from her prone position on the sofa, "You can stay for now. It's best if we got those radios Hanatarou here suggested before we put the plan into action. Plus I didn't get to mention to Takami I got two recruits…?" he paused, lost in thought for a moment before continuing, "Well, I guess you two enlisted yourselves more than anything, huh?" The group shared a quick laugh while #06 moved towards the door. "I'll call Takami once I get back to Izumo Inn, so expect her to contact you at any time after about two to five hours; the Director of the Sekirei Plan keeps the _weirdest_ schedule. Thanks for everything and I'll be seeing you three real soon." Homura opened the door and waved at them coolly while the other hand raised his mask and then he vanished into the night.

Uzume tilted her head and pouted, "How ru~de! Homura-kun left before we could even say good-bye!"

"Eh, that's alright with me. More food for us, am I right?" Hanatarou said with a chortle, getting a short laugh from the pair of Sekirei in the room with him. What he was actually thinking was he didn't feel comfortable with an unallied Sekirei in the room with them. It's not like he didn't have faith in Uzume, as she already proved to have amazing reactions the one time he nearly slipped down the stairs and showed she knew her way around her veils with her casual yet precise use of them for small things around the house but fire plus cloth equals ashes the last time he checked. It was a terrible match-up and the less he was around, the fewer opportunities there would be for things to turn sour.

Dinner was an interesting affair; Hanatarou decided to be a little adventurous and branched out to a French recipe by the name of choucroute garnie, which is made with various pork products topped with some sauerkraut, along with the Japanese staple steamed rice and soup on the side. Matsu and Uzume don't help him often in the kitchen, since the first time they both attempted they wound up making a great mess of things, which the accountant took in stride and just went to get take-out while the ladies cleaned. Now that they learned their lesson not to get overzealous and follow directions, things went much more smoothly. Nothing spectacular happened at the table save for Matsu getting flustered of all things, involving her feeding Hanatarou a rather large piece of sausage. It ended with her Ashikabi face-palming with a snap when he realized the innuendo then having to fend off a lightly panting #02 while Uzume hit the floor with laughter.

-~The next day~-

In the early afternoon, Hanatarou rose from the basement and went immediately to the kitchen, a wicker basket in hand. Uzume was in the living room and was the sole witness to her Ashikabi's odd behaviour and moved to lean on the entranceway of the kitchen, "What'cha doin'?" she asked curiously with a tilt of her head.

He didn't look up as he kept pace with his pseudo-assembly line of sandwiches, "Getting a picnic ready."

#10 tilted her head in the other direction, "Why?" she inquired, although she already had an idea.

Hanatarou turned and gave her a look that said something along the lines of "Really?" and finished the last sandwich while he pulled out a pair of thermoses from the fridge, holding a preferred drink of his and Uzume respectively.

The Veiled Sekirei giggled and wrapped her arms around her Ashikabi from behind so as to not interfere his work, "C'mon…I just want ya to say it," she said as she twirled a finger on his chest lightly.

With a false sigh of exasperation, Hanatarou caved in, "Fi~ne. We're going on a date," he said in mock shyness, preparing himself for the spin he would go through in three, tw-.

His internal count was off. He was made to do a 180 and got his lips occupied by Uzume's for a quick peck while she bounded off and up the stairs, calling out, "I love you, Hanatarou!" as she went. The bemused Ashikabi let out a puff of air through his nostrils as he finished prepping the pic-a-nic basket. Since about two weeks after Uzume's winging, Hanatarou figured he had a basic grasp on his housemates and found them fun to be around for their own reasons: Matsu is a delight to have intelligent conversation with; the sharp accountant had started out by pitching his plans on what to do with his stocks and #02 in all her genius and technologic sorcery would research and give both factual and personal feedback.

This would set the foundation for the conversation to steer towards other paths, an example being the mutual interest in computers. Hanatarou had his own tower in the basement, which he showed to the electronic goddess. Once he popped the lid, turned on a desk light to show the components and stepped aside so Matsu could get a good look, he was subject to a smirk and a single word, "Casual." Hanatarou opened his mouth to retort but found he couldn't refute the truth. His silence and acceptance was further cemented when #02 took her Ashikabi to their mutually shared work room and gave him a look at her towers.

While Matsu kept Hanatarou satisfied primarily in an intellectual manner, Uzume had him covered from the emotional end. This is not to say he loves Uzume over Matsu; he's rather hesitant to use such a strong word despite an obvious soft spot for the both of them that is continuously growing. It's more along the lines of having someone he can really cut loose and joke around with. The Veiled Sekirei is a true free spirit and has the amazing ability to play along with his wisecracks, from simple one-liners to raunchy, borderline sexual harassment jokes that would have him fired if told in the work place and even dark humour. This, coupled with her tendency to be rather physical despite his early reservations against such actions, eventually wore down his resistance somewhat and he warmed up to her.

Due to his appreciation of both members of his flock, he's decided to put some more solid effort into getting to know his housemates, which both girls greatly enjoyed. Hanatarou managed to have a semi-civil discussion with the both of them over the schedule and whether they were ok with having a double-date every now and then. It was agreed amongst the three of them for the order to be a single date to each, a double and then alternating single and double dates from then on. Usually he'd take one of them out individually or as a pair once a week, however since he was a little overdue for the next date and Matsu got the individual treatment last time, he decided to spring this up on Uzume today. More often than not, a man's funds would play into how often he'd take out his lady (or in this case, ladies) and normally it would hold him back because bills and everyday expenses, but since his supervisor Hirano and several of his co-workers, including some higher ups going over to see the World Cup game of Japan v. Portugal (score was 3-2, a rather high action game too) and the cordial accountant and #10 played the amazing host (apparently, every guest was pretty shit-faced by the time they left), he wound up getting a raise. The increased pay kept his books in acceptable numbers, even if in the first week he had to cash out on a few of his smaller personal investments, which was in its own way acceptable; they were whimsical investments and while he's normally above letting himself be so light with such choices, he was in a different mood that one evening thanks to his ladies.

Stepping out from the kitchen with the basket in tow, he opened the door and exited the building to bask in the early afternoon sun. Reaching under a chair to find a rubber ball, he set the basket on the chair while bouncing the ball on the wall of his entryway back to him as a way to kill time waiting for Uzume. He started tapping the ball on his forehead like a football player would and had his hands out to help stabilize himself. Once he turned away from the door it opened silently to reveal #10 dressed in a form-fitting, smooth red blouse with yellow stars of varying sizes all over it. A black skirt that reached just above her knees, a slim coat and dark grey flats finished her ensemble. Hanatarou heard the door open and merely let the ball fall to the floor before he turned around. He sighed once again and had his hands to his hips, almost as if he was very disappointed. #10 looked mortified, "W-what?"

"You dressed so well you're going to make me look bad," he quipped, getting a small blush and a slap on the arm for his efforts. Hanatarou was in a sky-blue and white button-up shirt with creases in places that would remind someone of a certain philandering drunkard's own shirt, dark blue jeans and black shoes. Patting his pockets to ensure he had everything before leaving, he led Uzume to the garage on the side. Opening the side door and pushing the unlock button on the clicker, he gestured for her to sit down as he opened the garage door and gate. Once the obstruction was removed from his car's path, he moved to the driver side while Uzume tossed him the keys overhand before settling in the passenger seat. Hanatarou deftly caught them as he opened the door with the other hand and they both slid into the car with the sort of synchronization that should've required years practice, but was done via the sub-conscious telepathy they shared due to their bond. The mild-mannered Ashikabi started his '15 Honda Accord. While a few years old already, he only drove it enough to keep it from gathering dust and he took decent care of it, so it probably had a couple years before it needed any major repairs or replacement parts.

It was a fair day for a picnic; the temperature didn't go over twenty-two degrees Celsius, a fair breeze that barely clocked in at five kilometers graced the city of Shinto Teito and an occasional cloud would lazily glide by. The drive to the park of choice was fairly uneventful, just a little small-talk amongst housemates. The park Hanatarou chose had a tendency to be comfortably populated. There was always a place to settle down and relax on with some distance from the other city folk, but never too much you couldn't at least see a handful of them either roaming about or relaxing themselves. It was ideal for the way the Sekirei and Ashikabi pair liked to kill time when alone. They found a spot with a well-worn metal bench and both of them agreed it would do. Hana-tan popped open the basket and started serving for the both of them. It was no extravagant feast, being nothing more than turkey breast with black forest ham sandwiches with some of the leftover sauerkraut from yesterday and a hearty fish stew with bits of beef as an accent he worked on since late morning. They sat down next to each other and got to chowing down, making small talk about Hanatarou's work or Uzume's unofficial class about human culture being taught to her by Matsu sharing her discoveries within the depths of the internet or Japan's regular TV programs. #10 had filled a spoonful of her Ashikabi's delicious stew and made to lift it to feed him; he scooted closer and leaned towards her and accepted the kind gesture willingly, earning envious stares from the few men close enough to witness the act. As Hanatarou swirled his stew around a bit in his mouth, pondering on the blend of spices and whether it would work with chicken and fish instead of a small amount of beef and fish, Uzume spoke up, "I've gotta ask ya Hanatarou. Where did ya learn to cook like this?"

With an audible gulp and a mental note to try this with a smaller amount of paprika and with chicken over beef, the culinary explorer responded, "Well, I was raised in a house of women. And one thing they all had in common were they all had a certain talent in the kitchen. Unlike my brothers, sisters and cousins, I didn't act as if I ran on cold fusion and could manage to sit still for hours. I would simply plant myself on a stool against a wall during family gatherings and watched the controlled chaos of a large kitchen filled with several women running to and fro, making sauces, prepping whole chickens, goats or pigs to be roasted outside, grinding peppers in old pestle and mortars and so on. Occasionally I'd ask a question or fetch a bag of rice or something along those lines, but most of the time my aunts or mother would just talk about what they were doing at the time and why. And back then I was just a sponge when it came to information; not only did it stick, but by the time I was a teenager, I took up the apron and began experimenting on day one. Naturally it started pretty hit or miss but once I got the practice to back up my theory, things took off from there. Then I discovered the internet and websites with recipes and then it just got ridiculous," he finished his mildly lengthy answer with a bob of his head and proceeded to chunk his sandwich.

"Heh, guess that explains how you're so patient with Matsu 'n me," Uzume says with a cat-like grin. "How many siblings did ya have?"

"Eleven. Two brothers and nine sisters. I was the third oldest, second oldest boy," he paused, taking a moment to reminisce about previous mischief with his family.

"Hm, not that many huh?" #10 questioned with a tilt of her head.

"Actually for humans, that's plenty. No surprise considering my mother was a whore." Hanatarou stated matter-of-factly.

The Veiled Sekirei tilted her head in confusion, "What's a whore?"

The embarrassed Ashikabi cringed slightly, forgetting for a moment despite how Uzume looks, she is in fact not human, "Er, a whore is someone who sleeps with others for money. I guess in a way, she was the Sekirei antithesis huh?"

One could almost see the question marks spawn above Uzume's head, "Anti-what now?"

Hanatarou took a breath to gather his thoughts for this explanation, "Antithesis means the exact opposite of. I'll give you an example: Sekirei are supposed to find their destined one to bond and basically love him or her and only that person right? Well a whore would 'love' anyone for money, with no emotional investment whatsoever. Hence my mother was your races' antithesis."

#10 nodded slowly and gave him a pensive "Huh…" for a response before she tilted her stew bowl and downed the broth. It was then Hanatarou noticed the whole while he was answering questions Uzume had took the time to eat and was now done while he was not even half way through with his portion, albeit it was human-sized so this wouldn't take him long to finish. Soon, he devoured his meal and suggested they walk around to digest the food after leaving the basket with their used dishes in the car. The Veiled Sekirei readily agreed, locking arms with her Ashikabi, much to the envy of onlookers. The path they took had plenty of old trees, with limbs reaching out in every direction and leaves aplenty to provide ample shade. As they strode down the walkway, the amount of other pedestrians began to thin out and they found themselves in a secluded spot, which is rather rare for any place in Shinto Teito. Once they neared a rather beaten up public restroom, Uzume had an idea. Before she could act on it however, Hanatarou's phone wound up ringing, which he had to have his arm freed to get. Glancing at the caller ID to see it was Matsu calling, he swiped 'Answer' and put her on speaker, "Hey Matsu, what's up?"

"Hana-tan, Homu-tan just called. He's going to work soon and he asks if Uzu-tan wouldn't mind patrolling for a few hours while he's busy?" Hanatarou didn't answer, simply turning to #10, awaiting her response.

She returned a questioning gaze, raised eyebrows and all, to which he fired back a shake of the head, a small bow and an extended hand palm up, indicating it was her call. While the Veiled Sekirei was a little off-put at being interrupted before she could tug her Ashikabi to the restroom for a good kiss or two…or ten and maybe more afterwards, it wasn't Homura's fault he had a job, plus she did promise her help with guarding the unwinged ones. Matsu on the line was about to ask if Hanatarou was still there, unaware she was on speaker only to hear her bond-sister answer, "Homura wants his new gal on patrol already? Geez, can't even enjoy a date in peace, huh?" she huffed before she relented, "Yeah, I can help out. Ya let Homura know I've got his back, but I get another date with my man tomorrow!"

"**Our** man, Uzu-tan," Matsu was quick to fire back, "But you have a deal. I've got several unwinged Sekirei reading within six kilometers of your location in various directions. Why not take to the rooftops to get a good vantage point and make a call on who could use a hand from there?"

#10 nodded even though her bond-sister couldn't see her, "Right. Now, I'm gonna change, no peeking alright Hanataro~u?" she snickered before continuing, "Ah who am I kiddin', I want ya ta look," she winked with a come-hither smile and swayed her hips slowly yet with a sharp accent, kind of like a belly dancer, the whole way to the ladies room.

The hot and bothered (although you wouldn't know it by looking at his face) Ashikabi got away with shaking his head with a smirk and a gesture to the restroom, "Just get in there! 'Sides, little point in peeking since I've seen it all already," he said while groaning inwardly. _I just had to remind myself of thaa-_ the mental picture of both his girls sleeping on either side of him stark naked vividly appeared before his mind's eye and he snapped out of it and aimed his gaze downwards to glare at the bulge in his pants. "I know what you're thinking buddy, and it's a-it's a bittersweet idea," he muttered to his junk. To the casual onlooker this would look plain insane but he had a perfectly good reason to do this: He was reinforcing what was left of his will to resist giving in to the delicious temptation of his girls. By saying this out loud, he was attempting to hypnotize himself essentially. "You gotta resist man. Yes, it would be consensual and it would be amazing for both parties but it's not that simple. They're **programmed** to love me. I'd be taking advantage of them if I did this. And no point trying to explain it to them, that would open a can of worms I'm not ready to deal with so, settle down!" With the lack of stimuli, he eventually cooled off and sighed.

_No pun intended, but this is only going to get harder as time goes on._ He thought morosely. _I got to find a way to deal with this. I'd hit the red light district but that's a no-no. Cheating is unbecoming, plus it wouldn't work since the girls there can't compare to Matsu or Uzume._ For half a minute, Hanatarou stood there, fruitlessly searching for the solution to this conundrum before settling on the realistic answer, _The only way I can think for this to get better is just to say 'Fuck it' and fuck them. But then my damned conscience will speak up and make me feel like shit afterwards._ With a bitter and weary face, he shook his head vigourously and lightly slapped his cheeks with both hands, pulling himself out of his funk somewhat. The right answer wasn't **the** right answer for his moral compass and he knew he wouldn't come up with anything satisfactory with what little time he had before Uzume returned from changing. Realizing he still had a bit of a sour mood about him, he solidified his stoic mask and endeavoured to emit his usual aura.

As soon as he had a passable façade, the Veiled Sekirei emerged in all of her barely socially acceptable glory. Doing a double take, Hanatarou very nearly lost his sanity then and there but thankfully he knew how to keep appearances and merely raised his eyebrows. "We~ll? What do ya think?" #10 struck a pose, dragging a hand down her side to accentuate her waist and hips, then turned around and thrust her hips out and waggled her eyebrows suggestively as she whipped her head back to lock eyes with her Ashikabi. It was a bit unnecessary to ask, as she caught his double take but she wanted to milk his reaction a little more. With an audible breath, Hana-tan opened his mouth but found words failed him. With a louder inhale and a gesture with his hands as if it would help him speak, he once again found himself mute. With a face so smug she'd give a certain young redhead with violet eyes or a pair of red and green armoured cavaliers a run for their money, she strut her stuff right past him saying, "Struck ya speechless, eh?" The silent accountant could respond with naught more than a noncommittal shrug and slight shake of his head. Before he could turn around and actually try to speak, he noticed the weirdest tickling sensation between his thighs and snapped his head down. As soon as he tried to ascertain what the _fuck_ that was, he was quickly wrapped from neck to toe in one of Uzume's veils.

With an incredulous expression, Hanatarou faced his second Sekirei, "Did you just-" in less than a second, what passed for the Veiled Sekirei's poker face cracked and he could've sworn he heard a short and derisive "Heh" from Uzume. "You-" That was all Hanatarou got out before he experienced first-hand the closest a human would come to flight without a machine's help.

The amazed Ashikabi, like all humans at least one point in their lives, had fantasized about flying. To be able to experience the pseudo-flight that is more likely than not the closest he'll get to the real deal caused him to forget the mild irritation at his flirtatious Wagtail for molesting him. To his disappointment their dance through the skies (a bit flowery of a description, considering they didn't even break fifty-five meters high) ended rather quickly, as #10 got to a rooftop with efficient effort. Once Hanatarou was de-mummified, he was struck with a realization, "Wait, Uzume?" The Veiled Sekirei turned her attention from the streets below to her Ashikabi, "Why did you bring me along? Not that I mind, it's just I'm not a fighter and you having to carry me makes me feel like dead weight."

A puzzled expression painted #10's beautiful face, "Ya know, I guess I didn't think about it. I kinda just brought you along for the ride," she shrugged in a 'it can't be helped' kind of way and returned to her surveying her surroundings.

Hanatarou shrugged back, although nobody saw it and he stepped towards another side of the building and began to scan the streets as well; he figured since he was here now he might as well do **something**. It didn't take the scouting accountant long to notice something, or rather some**one** odd: A girl who would've passed as a typical, yet cute Japanese citizen, if it weren't for the _massive_ hammer she was slinging over her shoulder as if it weighed as much as a 2x4 of a shorter length was walking alongside a young man with short, unkempt brown hair, wearing a slightly oversized green pullover and faded jeans. Not that far in front of him was another girl who also could've passed for a regular Shinto Teito commuter if there wasn't something blatantly odd about her: This time, the odd girl was wearing a yellow and black skintight jumpsuit, the likes of which reminded Hanatarou a lot of a certain deceased martial artist. What really stuck out was the Sekirei symbol in plain sight on her left hip. It was a matter of seconds before they were close enough for neither party to miss each other. "Spotted," Hanatarou called out in a loud voice. Immediately, Uzume was beside him and he extended a hand, pointing towards the soon-to-be confrontation.

A grin one could almost call feral painted #10's face, "He-heh, time for some action!" she cried out. She didn't even bother slinging Hanatarou in her mummy wrap, opting instead to just carry him bridal-style. He muttered something about gender role reversal but the words were lost on Uzume as she had already pumped her amazing legs and sent them flying to a rooftop right above the trio they were tracking.

By the time they landed above the confrontation, things were already heading south. The man next to the hammer-wielder stepped forward menacingly while the jumpsuit wearing girl took a few steps back. The armed Sekirei looked apprehensive if anything, almost as if she was afraid to fight. Due to Hanatarou and Uzume's distance they couldn't hear what was being said but it didn't matter as #10 decided it was time to intervene.

Right as the Veiled Sekirei lightly landed behind the Wagtail/Ashikabi pair, she caught the back end of whatever the man was saying, "-n't care what ya want, go get that bitch!" He swatted the hammer-wielder's ass with a sharp smack, elicting a yelp and an embarrassed flush from the girl.

Hammer stepped forward and with a quiet, almost defeated sounding voice finally spoke, "#84 Yashima."

Jumpsuit looked past the hostile pair for a moment to see Uzume raising her finger to her lips and silently shushing her. Getting the hint, she decided to stand her ground; while the unknown Wagtail didn't seem to mean any harm, her current enemy was winged and she didn't like her odds of getting away from her. "#86 Katsuragi." Throughout the confrontation, her face had a melancholic look about it. Weirdly enough it stayed but her overall body language subtly shifted to a ready stance. As much as Katsuragi appeared to be prepa~red**, she would quickly find out the power gap between an emerged and unwinged Sekirei; a shadow suddenly loomed over #86 and she looked up, eyes widening in fear to find she was already about to be crushed by #84's hammer. Uzume quickly shot out a veil and wrapped around the part under the hammerhead and gave it a tug, just enough to slow down the weapon and let the Bruce Lee imitator get out of harm's way. With a resounding crash, Yashima's hammer cratered the sidewalk. She took a moment to closely inspect her weapon, completely oblivious to #10 behind her trying not to laugh. Yashima shook her head gave chase after Katsuragi, who had dashed down a side-street while her Ashikabi ran slowly behind her. The man thought he saw someone on the right with his peripherals but after he popped out of the entryway of the street to check he saw no one. Shaking his head in disbelief and muttering something about it being his imagination, he turned back towards the fight and pursued.

Above on the rooftop, Uzume let loose her built-up mirth while Hanatarou just shook his head in disapproval, even if he wanted to laugh too. "Didja see the look on her face? It was like 'whuh?!'" #10 made a comical confused face to go along with her sound effects and just went right laughing.

Not even her Ashikabi could contain a snicker, although he found Uzume's antics more amusing. However, the situation was supposed to be serious, so he had to put his foot down, "Will you get a grip? One of your sisters is about to become a pancake if you don't do something about it!"

Before the conversation could go on, an audible vibrating sound emanated from Hanatarou's pocket. He withdrew his phone and read the e-mail aloud, "Stop flirting and help Katsu-tan! …it says," he gazed skyward for a moment then looked down at his phone with a conflicted face, "Good lord, I kissed the world's greatest stalker."

"That's ri~ght, bro, and she's a~ll yours!" Uzume called out, jumping in the direction of the action as soon as she finished talking. With a slow, counter-clockwise spin she flew through the air. Upon landing on the next building, she front flipped the whole way to the edge and did a very slow cartwheel over to yet another rooftop and looked down. Katsuragi had managed to get in close, nullifying the effectiveness of Yashima's hammer. Regardless of their shenanigans earlier it looked as if shit hadn't hit the fan yet. With a slight jarring sensation, Uzume landed, flexed her hands, popped her neck and grinned. "Showtime," she whispered to herself.

#10 stepped over the edge of the latest rooftop she found herself on and once again landed silently. Katsuragi finally ate a shoved hammer handle to the face, falling flat on her behind, stunned. Yashima raised her hammer like an executioner's blade, ready to end the battle but her instincts warned her of imminent danger and she bounced to the right to dodge an obi jab. Her Ashikabi emerged from behind the dumpster he used as cover, anger painted all over his face, "Who the fuck are you?! What the hell are you doing interrupting them?" he shouted at Uzume.

The curvaceous brunette ignored Junichi and instead walked over to Katsuragi, extending a hand, "Is this guy botherin' ya?" #86 hesitated momentarily but took the proffered help and remained silent.

If Junichi wasn't furious before, he sure as hell was now, "God dammit, you bitch, don't ignore me! What the fuck are you doin' here?!"

The Veiled Sekirei was unfazed by the insults and disrespectful tone, "Just lookin' out fer a sister in need. Now the fight's two on one, ya sure ya wanna go down this road, bub?" she asked with a sassy tone and a saucy grin.

Yashima appeared to be uncomfortable and turned partially towards her Ashikabi. Whatever she intended to say was lost, as Junichi already came up with a well thought out and intelligent plan, "Fuck that shit!" he snarled. With a quick jog towards #84, he grabbed under her chin with one hand while the other snaked around and roughly groped her decent-sized bosom. He slid his tongue down her throat for a few seconds, causing violet wings to bloom forth while Uzume quickly elbowed Katsuragi and gestured with her head towards the rooftops behind them. The Bruce Lee imitator got the message and they both made a tactical retreat. Once the gruff Ashikabi of Yashima finished manhandling his Sekirei he began to give her orders, "Now, go kick their asses!" It was only after he spoke did he turn to see both of the upstart bitches who dared piss him off weren't there anymore, "What the fu-!? Where the _hell_ did they go?!" he asked nobody in particular.

The hammer wielding Wagtail looked up and saw the pair of birds land on the rooftop of a sizeable apartment complex, "Up there," she pointed out, both with her words and her hammer. While she still didn't like the two on one odds, Yashima still had a Norito boost up her sleeve. The (over)confidence it gave her instilled the belief she would come out of the impending skirmish just fine. "Please wait here, Ashikabi-sama. I will take care of the enemy," she said calmly. Without waiting for Junichi to respond (a wise decision, as he'd probably just verbally abuse her), she leaped with speed and power unseen before in the gravity manipulator. About a quarter of the way to the soon-to-be battleground, the purest white wings brightened the mid-afternoon sky and #84's face blanched as she realized the other Sekirei had her Ashikabi with her as well. Even worse, she was already mid-flight and had no way of stopping or redirecting herself. Had she bothered to remain calm or had any experience with her Norito-boosted abilities, she might've realized she could simply just increase her own gravity enough for her to miss the roof and hit the wall.

Turning to Uzume, she was rather surprised to see Hanatarou had done his best at amateur parkour and had just landed on the far side of the rooftop she just landed on. With a stumble, the accountant hit the ground and fell to his knees and looked up to find #10's face less than a foot away from his and closing in fast. Before he could even think as to how fast she got from her landing spot to his, she had already kissed him. The Veiled Sekirei uncharacteristically pulled away from the kiss quickly, eyes full of resolve and a glow surrounding her, as if she were some divine being. She spoke, "I gotta take care of some business, alright bro? Just sit tight," she finished with a wink and did a 180.

It was like the world was running at half-time. She could see the minute changes in Yashima's facial expression as she descended to land, from the clenching of her jaw in fear, to the determination in her eyes to follow her Ashikabi's directive and…something else Uzume couldn't quite put her finger on; the frown and furrowed brow were noticed but she failed to interpret the meaning behind them. The moment she did the about face, she absently noticed how easy the movement was. It was as if she didn't even send the command to turn, her body simply already **knew**. She made a note to speak of the difference between a Norito boost in a combat situation and some loving time with Hanatarou. _Thinking of Hanatarou, _she mentally squealed in delight before continuing her thoughts in coherent words, _He's gonna see me be such a bada~ss! Although, with the way he looked at me with such __**fire**__ when he first saw my battle outfit, I hope he's not too busy staring at my ass. Although he can look all he wants, he-heh! Oo~h, maybe he'll take me to a love motel afterwards? Or maybe…_ #10's thoughts quickly went to the gutter as she imagined just how she'd be ravaged and where, the daydream getting more and more debauched by the nanosecond.

Another thing about the Norito boost Uzume had experienced just now, yet wasn't quite conscious of was not only had her physical prowess get boosted several stages, so did her overall mental and even psychic abilities. Hence why despite the moments she spent marveling in her increased power and the little daydream she had took less than five seconds when normally it would take at most half a minute.

The Veiled Sekirei focused on the matter at hand; Yashima finally situated herself across from her, both Wagtails in a Mexican standoff. After a tense ten seconds, the gravity manipulator spoke up, "#84 Yashima."

Uzume understood her succinct statement, "#10 Uzume," and payed the same respect given to her.

Taking a wide stance and bracing herself, the hammer wielder called out, "_Hammer of my pledge, shatter the enemy o-"_

A/N: Anyone ever watch the Sopranos? That's partially why it ended this way. The main reason, I will admit, was I'm simply starving my readers for my mediocre story and I feel bad. Sure, I'm going to give you guys shit as I write on, as you no doubt noticed even now with that disgusting cliffhanger ending slash on point reference but I still want you folks to enjoy my work (besides, would you rather I give you shit than not give a shit? This is another way of saying, I'm not dropping this, I do care about you but I'm an asshole so it comes with some strings.)! Long breaks between chapters however, isn't the way to go about this so know that I will endeavour to get the next bit out to you sooner. This Sopranos thing will **NOT** come back. It's a one-time deal, mainly because someone did it to me and I'm well aware it's fucking awful (in a good way). Some of you might have noticed Matsu isn't overly perverted. Let me tell you this much: In a house where Miya isn't there to stop her, yet her lover is kind of acting spineless, she knows now's not the time to pounce. The walls around Hanatarou's heart have to be worn down more before she can really get things going.

Another point I'd like to bring up. Uzume has an accent. She talks kinda fuh-ny. I've read several works with her in them, either as a minor or major character and I'd like to put a different interpretation out there. One of the big things is I'm not overly (well, more like not at all[though I probably should?]) using the chuckle "he-heh" even though it suits her. Another is she's not going to call Hanatarou "bro" all the time. Sure she's a tomboy but she's aware, albeit subconsciously she can't stick herself into the position of being "one of the guys," even if she has **no **concept of the idea. Now, to more specific reviewer responses.

Shpongled Windseeker: I'm going to quote Severa from FE:A: "I'm just getting started!" Let me actually get into the real swing of things and you may find the relationships will be intricate. The only complaining point I see you having for what I have planned will be it took too long to get there, but that's a core weakness of mine.

Noire Ryjyn: This is a little harder than I remember. I want to give you your epic length chapters, I really do. But as I read the first, second and third draft of this chapter, I came to the same conclusion with each, although the second took longer for me to get there, and even longer for the third. I'm too longwinded. I get weary reading my own bloody works, and writers are usually biased towards their own stuff, whether they like it or not.

Anyway, gave a little background on our Ashikabi, built a little character, lightly laid out the framework for the first major arc. There's more to come ladies and gents, so stick around.

*: This is archaic, even for me. Barathrum is the name of Spirit Breaker in Dota. Notice how Spirit Breaker starts with the same letters as Scene Break? Yeah. That's a stretch I know, but I'm going to put more like that in here and I want you folks to at least have a fighting chance at catching them so I pointed this one out. Everybody gets one (alright, this one's easy).


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Disc lamer: Any movies, shows, animes, comics, manga, songs etc. I reference are purely used for non-profit so don't sue me. I mean seriously, take a second to read the URL. If you think I'm makin' money off this somehow, I am concerned for your mental health. Unless your lawyer is right next to you, in which case I plead the fifth.

A/N: I find myself here, at this place again. You'll notice a certain variety of citrus in this chapter. It's pretty amateur by my books, but you fellas want it so hey! I'll try most things once. For those who don't care about good ol' sexual tension relief, control-eff LEMONADE for the end of the scene. For the start, if that's all you're here for, look for LEMONS.

Hindsight, Hanatarou knows, is and will forever be 20/20. Before Uzume rocketed away to engage in the fight between Katsuragi and Yashima, he should've stopped her for a second in order to kiss and empower her with Norito. Before he could tell the Veiled Sekirei to turn around, she had already launched herself towards the skirmish. Hanatarou cursed under his breath over his negligence.

_I messed up. I should've thought of Norito boosting her sooner. Now she's going waist deep in a potential sea of shit and we don't know how deep it runs,_ he reprimanded himself. He turned to the rooftops in front of him and saw while there was no direct path to walk across them, one could still move forward with a few jumps and a running start. The tiny voice of raw and uncaring logic said this was pretty stupid: While he was not out of shape, he most certainly wasn't _in_ shape either. He could very easily end up a splatter on the pavement with a poorly timed hurdle. Fortunately (?), his anger overrode his common sense and with only a few deep breaths he began to jog in step a bit to loosen up and walked to the edge to scout before taking off.

The first obstacle was, from what he could see with his mildly higher vantage point, arguably the hardest: a jump of what he guessed to be six meters across with a height difference between the take-off point to the landing point of another guess of four meters._ Its days like this I really appreciate all the power walking to and from work, _he thought wryly. Thankfully the rooftop he was on was completely flat; he wouldn't have to hurdle anything and possibly lose precious momentum. With an efficient long jump, the currently irrational Ashikabi flew. Hanatarou's flight was nowhere near as graceful or powerful as Uzume's but it would be enough, albeit barely. With a dull thud, he impacted half on, half off the next rooftop, and was rather winded due to the impact. Thankfully, his hands were powerful enough from playing the piano the vast majority of his life and the few years he tried to emulate his musical idol Buddy Rich on the drum set to grab hold of the ledge and pull himself fully onto the roof.

Taking a few seconds to get his stunted oxygen flow back, he jogged onward, his earlier observation about the hardest hurdle to cross turned out to be true. With a few ledge grabs, long hops, several running starts, a couple of bumps on his torso, hands and knees, he found himself on the rooftop adjacent to the spot from which he could oversee the action.

A faint sheen of sweat covered the face of the slightly strained Ashikabi as he breathed deep through his nostrils to help settle down his heartbeat. The final jump before him was nearly an exact match to the one he started with, only this time the horizontal distance to the landing point was about a meter shorter. Emboldened with his previous success with a more difficult parkour challenge, he once again took off running. Perhaps feeling too overconfident, he found himself jumping a hair too early and lost his cool momentarily, flailing his limbs about for a quarter of a second, lowering his airspeed by a shade as well. While these losses in momentum weren't enough to royally screw him over, it still made what should've been an easy landing into a messy tumble forward. During his panicked flight, he caught sight of Uzume and the unwinged Sekirei coming down on the same roof he was about to roughly land on. His forward momentum caused his torso to almost slingshot his head onto the roof, which forced him to shoot out his hands in order to avoid a split skull. With some more curses under his breath, he made to get on his feet but stopped when he noticed Uzume's face less than a foot from his and closing in. Idly Hanatarou wondered how she got to him so quickly while #10 gave him a quick kiss, making her luminescent wings sprouting forth, the light mingling with the sun's rays, seemingly warping the sky one could see through them.

"I've gotta take care of some business, a'ight bro? Just sit tight," she finished with a wink and did a 180.

The Veiled Sekirei focused on the matter at hand; Yashima finally situated herself a fair distance across from her, both Wagtails in a Mexican standoff. After a tense ten seconds, the gravity manipulator spoke up, "#84 Yashima."

Uzume understood her succinct statement, "#10 Uzume," and payed the same respect given to her.

Taking a wide stance and bracing herself, the hammer wielder called out, _"Hammer of my pledge, shatter the enemy of my Ashikabi!" _Light began to emit from and warp around Yashima as the rooftop she was on cratered with the sheer amount of force she exuded with her incantation active.

Uzume for some reason decided not to chant, but she did create some more veils out of sight of the gravity manipulator, now under control of a dozen spools of her silk.

Yashima pounced, raised her weapon in an overhead blow, _"Gravity Ha-"_

Two veils shot out like lightning to each arm while four flew to each leg. Each veil constricted their respective limb and drew each appendage taut, the shock over and sudden loss of control over her various limbs causing #84 to lose her grip on her no longer glowing hammer. The veils that wrapped her arms let go and tied a leg instead and Uzume started to twirl her around as if she were a coil of rope with Yashima acting as the loop at the end. She kept increasing the speed of her twirl and when #10 stopped feeling resistance, she stopped and slammed her on the unforgiving concrete.

While Sekirei not only have denser muscle structure, stronger, slightly thicker bones and more resistant skin, even their innards are more stable and resilient. The centrifugal force Uzume exerted on Yashima would've liquefied any human's insides; Yashima, being a Norito-boosted Wagtail, merely experienced a pounding headache, a nasty case of whiplash, severe loss of balance and bouts of intense vertigo. While she was incapacitated by her own attempts to stand, Uzume sauntered over and gave her as mean a right cross as a non-fist-type could manage. Yashima flew off her feet for a couple of meters and landed sprawled on all fours. After a few seconds she valiantly tried again to get back on her feet.

"Give it up, sista. I don't wanna have ta do this," the Veiled Sekirei called out to her obviously losing opposition.

Normally, Yashima is a quiet and impressionable individual, to the point where she would probably accept the idea of retreat from an enemy. The previous abuse of Junichi, compounding with his ignoring of anything she had to say, plus the concise thrashing Uzume quickly dished out and to top it all off the rather casual dismissal of her as a threat broke the straw on the camel's back. With slow, methodical steps, #84 walked to and retrieved her weapon, head bowed and face obscured from view the entire time. When she raised her head, Uzume noted Yashima's visage was covered with a vicious snarl, loaded to the gills with fury. With speed unseen before from the gravity manipulator, she dashed towards #10, cocking back her hammer for a full-strength horizontal smash. Having learned from last time, she made sure to stick to the ground so as to not leave herself open to the previous limb snaring attack. Uzume became shrouded by six of her veils as they spiraled upwards then falling lifelessly to the floor, to reveal the Veiled Sekirei to be nowhere in sight. Yashima looked everywhere, furiously searching for the upstart bitch that dared blow her off. A wolf whistle sounded out behind the now livid gravity manipulator and she snappily did an about-face. Through her red haze of rage she paused, puzzled at what she saw.

Uzume had taken a strange stance; even stranger still was what it implied. Her left arm was hanging at a right angle, forearm held level with her navel, pumping back and forth with blurring speed while her right arm was held up next to her face, held in a fist in a manner similar to a Muay Thai practitioner and unlike her left, was held still. Behind her, several of her veils were mimicking her arms, with six of them pumping back and forth in perfect sync with the left while another six turned into a sort of blunt corkscrew aimed skyward and holding still, just like her right arm. She kept hopping around on the balls of her feet lightly, reminiscent of an outboxer's usual footwork heavy oriented pattern, "Alright, ya asked fer it, no more fuckin' around!" She called out, and with her left hand and the respective veils copying said hand, she made a come hither gesture.

A barely audible yet feral growl emanated from #84's clenched teeth as she dashed forward, hammer cocked back to hit a home-run on Uzume's now side-stepping form. Her left fist flew out low and to the ground, which again momentarily broke through Yashima's furious tunnel vision and yet again brought confusion. _Why swing when I'm not even that close yet?_ Was what ran through her head in that moment. Her step also faltered along with her focus, costing her what seemed like little at the time.

From above, the six loose veils copied her left and flew parallel to the ground, splitting into threes and coming from both sides. Once they got about a meter and a half within range of the gravity manipulator, she kept her fist loose as she raised the oddly aimed jab and whipped her wrist forward. All six veils copied the motion in staggered timing, whipping up and striking at Yashima's face with audible snaps. #84 stepped back, in equal amounts of shock and pain; while those flicker jabs _hurt_, they didn't really cause much in the name of damage (yet). As she shook her head to re-focus and re-settle herself, the Sekirei embodiment of MC Hamer's hit single zeroed her angry tunnel-vision upon Uzume's jabbing form. Another cacophony of snaps were heard as #10 had wasted no time and fired off another barrage of flickers, all six connecting once more. This time Yashima knew what was hitting her and didn't even pause as she dashed forward once again, undaunted by the fact the Veiled Sekirei cocked yet another volley of flickers to harass her with.

This time Yashima's approach was scarier, as she actually was in range for a quarter of a second until Uzume side-dashed away again, felt the rather refreshing cool breeze of her opponent's hammer swing barely missing making her insides all pulpy while her left hand and mimicking veils were nearly invisible from the speed they lashed out at. The game of cat and mouse continued as such, much to Yashima's rising frustration. As time winded down upon the skirmish on the rooftop, Uzume's flicker jabs showed one of their delayed aces: Various spots of angry red swelling painted the gravity manipulator's face, particularly around the high cheeks and eyebrows, the harsh, coloured mounds of flesh obscuring her vision. It didn't help that no matter how relatively undamaging the flicker jabs were, but when you were hit by dozens on the head? How about a hundred plus? Needless to say, Yashima was starting to feel pressured and was further disheartened when she took in her opponent's condition. She was only breathing mildly hard as she had yet to lose her visage of cool focus, much to Hanatarou's great surprise. The cherry on top was Yashima attempted to use her Norito release which burned precious minutes of the DNA-based steroid; Uzume merely used the passive stat boost it provided to literally run circles around the hammer wielder, not even taking a scratch in this fight.

It was in this calm yet still tense moment, like being within the eye of a storm, did Hanatarou exhale a large puff of air and shake his head in wonder, _Man, humanity is so outclassed by these girls it isn't even funny. And where in the seven hells did Uzume learn Hitman style?!_

The momentary respite was broken as Yashima used her desperation to fuel her dashes, wanting nothing more than to knock Uzume out of the park. #10 changed her tactics a little by changing the angle of her flickers to come from above, forcing Yashima to duck her head.

The climax of the battle rapidly approached, as the Veiled Sekirei stopped bouncing on the balls of her feet and stood her ground, much to Yashima's relief. _Maybe she got tired of running around?_ Desperation does things to a person's thought process, even to a Sekirei's. It was as she dashed forward did another ace of the flickers revealed itself: As one gets slapped around repeatedly by the left hand, one, should they be inexperienced enough in battle, tends to forget there's a right hand. Uzume sped up and strengthened the onslaught of flickers, to ensure the abused Sekirei keeps her head as low as possible so as to not see the chopping right coming.

Yashima finally managed to get within range again, and this time Uzume wasn't running. #84 planted her feet shoulder width apart, twisted her entire body from her toes to her neck to cock back her mightiest swing then found herself seeing stars and the ground rushing up rapidly to meet her face.

Hanatarou groaned in the background as Yashima's head made a mild crater on the rooftop, hammer falling down with a rather pathetic flop next to her body. A light impossible to see from the distance he was at emitted from between her shoulder blades, as Uzume made a prudent decision to partially rip her top off to check the condition of her enemy's Sekirei Crest. It was gone. The fight was over.

Hanatarou whistled lowly as he slowly approached, _Hot dayum, Uzume handed her ass to her on a silver platter. _Hanatarou thought, running through the fight again in his head. _I guess Matsu really wasn't kidding when she said Uzume can free-style with her veils. I should probably show her that one manga about objects with souls; she's going to get a kick out of how perverted the obi is. That, and the obvious inspiration for her cloth-based powers._

The Veiled Sekirei gestured to her Askihabi to come over while she turned to the last known location of Katsuragi only to see she was long gone. With a shrug she turned only to see Hanatarou right next to her and raising her right arm skyward, "A~nd the winner by knockout, Uzume 'The Hitwoman'-" he faltered after remembering neither Matsu nor Uzume gave him a last name when they introduced themselves. He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "You do have a family name, right?"

Uzume quirked an eyebrow in amusement at his antics, "Yeah I do, yours."

The apparent referee nodded amicably, "Right, right. Take two!" He cleared his throat before continuing, "A~nd the winner by knockout, Uzume 'The Hitwoman' Tanaka!" He shouted out to the non-existent crowd.

The Veiled Sekirei made a show of shadow boxing, then laughed as she draped the raised arm around her Ashikabi, pressing herself as firmly as she could against his body, "So~, what do I get fer winnin', h~m?" she tilted her head and leaned her face in close with half-lidded eyes, "Doesn't your tired, tired woman get a reward fer fightin' her hardest?"

Hanatarou scoffed, "Your hardest?" Both of his hands touched her face then roamed to her neck and arms, then stopped after barely finding what he was looking for, "You hardly broke a sweat!" Uzume looked put out but he continued, "Tell you what. One of my younger sisters is a physical therapist and she used me a lot for practice. She even taught me a few hand tricks. Before we go home, let's make a stop at the department store that's..." Hanatarou paused and leaned towards the western edge of the former battlefield and scoured the land with his eyes, "I'd say...about 15 blocks ahead of us? Something like that... anyway, let's make a stop there for some massage oils and table, plus you tell me on the way what you want for dinner so I can pick up the ingredients. You deserve it," he paused again and rubbed the back of his neck, "Y'know, you really kicked ass. I knew Sekirei are stronger than we are but seeing that fight really drove the point home," silence reigned once again, this time for a longer duration then he shook his head and peered down at the deactivated Yashima, "Is this really necessary? Tearing your sisters away from their lifemates?" he asked quietly.

Uzume answered just as quietly, "It's all we've ever known. For our Ashikabis, we must fight."

Hanatarou once again shook his head, although this time it was a shorter movement yet still firm, "It shouldn't come down to this. It's cruel," a moment passed as he inhaled deeply through his nostrils, "But hey! Better her than you," he stated with a half-grin.

Uzume snickered and patted her asshole of an Ashikabi's shoulder, "Believe me, I did her a favour. Her man was a real piece of shit. Kinda wanna go down the alley again 'n kick his ass just for shits and giggles, if he's still there," she put a finger to her lip and tilted her head in thought, wondering how long it'll take for the MBI helicopters to get here and whether she'll finish up before Takami arrives to pick up Yashima.

Hanatarou shrugged, "Well, if you feel that strongly about it, go ahead and kick his ass, I won't stop you. Just don't kill him, that's probably a bad idea," he said while scratching his chin.

Before Uzume could decide to jump down and deliver another can of whoop ass or not, Hanatarou's phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and brought it up to his ear after glancing at the caller ID, "Good afternoon, this is Mahjong's Pizza, how may I help you today?"

"Hi, Matsu would like to order a large Takami wants to meet you, and to drink Matsu will take a two liter of you idiot." #02's voice emitted from the phone dryly.

"Excellent choice ma'am, might I suggest, where does she want to meet and what time?" Halfway through his response, Hanatarou dropped the act.

The faint sound of a keyboard clattering was heard first, "Matsu gives MBI's helicopters about five minutes time and as for the location, that rooftop you're on, Hana-tan," he stated matter-of-factly.

Hanatarou's eyes shot up in surprise although Matsu didn't see it (satellites only have so much zoom after all and it gave #02 a bad angle to catch the change in facial expression anyway), "Well al~righty then!" He called out rather enthusiastically. Both Uzume and her Ashikabi looked at each other in confusion then around randomly, trying to find the source of the faint "Chu-ca-ca!" they both heard.

The pair shrugged it off and Hanatarou continued, "Ah, I've been meaning to ask you, have you looked up radio ear pieces? We could use a few for Homura, Uzume and I if I happen to be tagging along."

A clatter of a few keystrokes was heard, Hanatarou figuring she already had a tab open and merely cycled to bring it to the forefront, "MBI actually have very good ones for sale, similar to a Bluetooth headset except with an expected battery life of 10 years and of a slightly smaller size. They're about 125,000 yen a pop," Matsu informed Hanatarou helpfully.

"I see. Hm, maybe I can ask Takami for several of them for services rendered?" he asked more to himself.

Uzume once again chuckled, believing the Sekirei Plan Director's face would look hilarious if he really asked that, although Hanatarou didn't get the joke as he hasn't met Takami yet.

"Well, they're commonly used by MBI's private force. There's a small chance there's some spares on one of their helicopters in-case of equipment failure?" The Sekirei of Wisdom guessed.

"It's worth asking, if nothing else. I'll be letting you go now Matsu. No doubt you have me to spy on with various cameras to keep you busy," he said airily as he tried to worm his free hand to an itch between his shoulder blades that was **just** out of reach.

"Ple~ase, Hana-tan, it's called multi-tasking," she snarked back. "Try rubbing your back on the side of that roof entrance by the way, the walls should be enough to scratch your itch."

Hanatarou was about to turn around and ask Uzume, who had walked over to and taken to making a make-shift puppet out of Yashima's fallen form and having her dance the can-can, if she could get it for him but paused once Matsu pointed out that yes, the wall was indeed a good backscratcher.

After ending the call and relieving himself of that pesky itch, Hanatarou raised an eyebrow in amusement at Uzume's antics. She noticed she had his attention then turned around, presented her fantastic ass and made Yashima spank her as she bobbed her eyebrows at him suggestively. He chuckled at the sort of grim humour; he wondered whether it counted as disrespect of the fallen since the former gravity wielder was still alive, just comatose? "Playing around with your defeated enemy's corpse? Talk about showing her who's boss," he noted with amusement.

"Gee, ya think so?" Yashima mimicked most of Uzume's every move, with the exception of the mouth as she spoke while her hands, feet and head flopped around. #10 sashayed towards him, her hips rolling smoothly as the former gravity manipulator once again mirrored the majority of her movements.

"Alright Uzume, you know what time it is?" Hanatarou asked with a slight firmness, feeling the need to put his foot down over her dissing the fallen.

Uzume's face broke into a shit-eating grin, "What, is it time to open the door, get on the floor, everybody walk the dinosaur?" She asked cheekily for the first few words and then in a sing-song voice, both Sekirei walking the dinosaur as she sang.

Hanatarou slapped his palm to his forehead with a fair amount of force, unable to keep the snort of laughter or the smile from his face. "Well played," he said succinctly as Uzume lifted Yashima and replaced her next to the minor crater the final blow left.

The Veiled Sekirei rose from the floor and wrapped one arm around Hanatarou as she had gotten close enough at the end of her dinosaur walk while the other grabbed and lowered his chin for a kiss, which she received.

With now about three more minutes until the Sekirei retrieval team and by extension Takami arrives, Uzume was going to make the most of it. She pressed herself firmly against him as soon as their lips collided, which in turn pressed Hanatarou to the wall. He coiled one hand around her waist as the other rested on her drool-inducing hips. As soon as his hands settled, she moved both of hers to his buttocks. In response, Hanatarou shifted from hips to ass himself, which garnered yet another instantaneous reaction: Uzume threw subtly out the window by unzipping his jeans, slipping her hand past his boxers and working his shaft at a steady pace. Idly Hanatarou made the comparison of her actions to a barely restrained frat boy inching his way to a home-run. Which in this analogy would make him the former Catholic all-girls school attending, un-legs crossing cunt. His mind went on a different tangent as he remembered his previous mutterings of gender role reversal and how it happened once again.

It was at the next thought (how he had never had sumata before and #10 had indeed pulled his dick out to the open and firmly grasped his pole between her thighs, giving him a standing thigh job while the pair fought a duel of the tongue within Hanatarou's mouth) did he realize his mind wanders at truly the weirdest times.

To his complete surprise, Uzume pulled away first, a hand still stroking him while a string of saliva connected the two, "We can wrap this up after my massage, a'ight bro?" she whispered breathlessly and gave him a saucy wink, "Kinda doubt Takami will approve of meeting ya fer the first time with yer dick out," she continued with a grin and a laugh as Hanatarou hastily tucked in his boner within his jeans and up to his waist band, silently thanking his habit to wear belts even if the jeans or slacks are form-fitting.

The hot and bothered accountant sighed through clenched teeth before speaking, "I am going to have fun with you tonight," he murmured.

If it wasn't for their extremely short distance from each other, Uzume would've missed that. She did hear him though, and boy could she not help but grin like a fool. _Momma's gettin' some toni~ght, whoop whoop!_ She thought gleefully as she took Hanatarou's former spot leaning against the wall, lighting rubbing her thighs together in anticipation. Her thoughts quickly went right down the figurative gutter as Hanatarou moved forward towards the Sekirei retrieval team, as they had apparently arrived during Uzume's current highlight of the day.

A slightly dull silver-haired woman in a standard office worker's outfit of a white button-up shirt with a tie, black slacks and shoes, with a lab coat left open over the ensemble asked who looked to be an assistant a succinct question to which she received an equally succinct answer. Nodding her acceptance she raised the pad she wielded to her chest and pointed toward the farthest corner of the building away from the helicopters, no doubt due to the noisy engines making the pick-up site a poor location for a conversation.

Once they both arrived at the corner, they stood a respectable distance from each other and studied one another. Hanatarou wasn't one to cheat but he was an objective man and he had to admit the woman in front of her was rather attractive in a no non-sense kind of way, with her sharp features, slender figure and silent aura demanding results. She fished a cigarette from her half-full pack within her breast pocket while the stoic stockbroker quickly procured a lighter from his jean pocket, summoning the flame and lighting the cancer stick for her. She lightly nodded her thanks, took a long drag and even offered one to the taller man in front of her, which he refused; he only ever smokes cigarettes when he's in his cups.

"I'm sure you know my name just as Matsu told me yours," he started in his business tone, "I'm also sure you have places to be, so I'll get right to it. What do you want?"

The smallest of smiles adorned Takami's face, "Straight to the point eh? Good," the smile vanished as she pressed on, "Why are you helping the Sekirei?"

"Partially because like any gentleman, I'm a sucker for damsels in distress but mainly due to my girls asking nicely to do this," he answered coolly.

"You like playing the nice guy for pussy? So you're one of billions of men, huh? Cut the crap, what are you really after?" Never let it be said Takami is afraid to speak her mind.

Hanatarou enjoyed a sensible chuckle before speaking, "Come now, just because I'm doing a good deed for no apparent reason does it mean I have a hidden motive," he said with a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

Takami scoffed, "Please, you're a businessman. Businessmen are **always** after something," she sneered with a suspicious expression aimed at him.

The smile gracing Hanatarou's face went from genuine mirth to cold in a heartbeat, "Stating the obvious, are we Sahashi-san? Let me have a go! Bears shit in the woods, the pope is Catholic and my youngest sister is a shotacon loving freak," Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Takami couldn't keep a ghost of a smile off her face, "I can't deny you're right though, but quite frankly what I'm after is my business and my business alone. What I can tell you is I mean the Sekirei no harm, although they're fair game if they come after my girls or me."

Takami scowled at being refused her answer. She was however, experienced in matters of the world and felt well enough on her feeling that Hanatarou spoke the truth when he says he means no harm to the Sekirei. "...I'll keep in touch."

"Sahashi-san?"

"What?"

"You wouldn't happen to have spare ear pieces on any of those helicopters, would you?"

"...The troops' Chinook should have a few spares in case of malfunctioning equipment."

"Do you think you could let us have them, so Matsu can give live info on any unwinged Sekirei in danger to Uzume and Homura?"

The Sekirei Plan Director raised a hand to her right ear before speaking to someone on the line, "Bring down the spare ear pieces," she said and took her own ear piece off without waiting for confirmation, wordlessly offering it to the stoic Ashikabi. Hanatarou took the tiny ear bud and nodded his thanks, getting no response other than for the scientist to turn her back to him and walk towards her helicopter as a MBI trooper rappelled down with an oddly bulky case strapped to his back, considering the contents. The trooper paused in front of Takami who said something and thumbed behind her at Hanatarou. He nodded, jogged over to him as he unstrapped the case and roughly handed it over, as mute as his boss was at the end of their conversation. A prudent person when it comes to business, the cool accountant popped the side latches and viewed the contents, satisfied (and pleasantly surprised at the amount) with the dozen ear pieces encased within the case's cushiony interior.

"Nothing beats doing a good deed and gettin' paid. Now, let's see whether Matsu can get these on a more private frequency later?" He muttered absently to himself. He turned as Uzume approached, looking restless. "You never told me what you wanted for dinner?" he half-stated, half-asked his victorious Sekirei.

"You."

A short sigh is heard, "Should've seen that one coming. Also you're saying I'm dinner when I'm dessert, so what do you want for dinner?"

"Hoh? When I have dessert, it tends ta be a lot ta sate my 'sweet tooth', ya know what I mean?" She said, sighing the last part as she sidled up to her Ashikabi's side.

"Why, yes Uzume, I know exactly what you mean," he said in a low tone, catching her chin and lifting her face slowly to his as he said the next part, "Matter of fact, I think you should have dessert..." he dragged out the last few syllables, lips mere centimeters apart as #10 dared not move in hopes of Hanatarou initiating the kiss.

"...After your massage tonight!" He said loudly in an innocent tone, as he quickly pulled his face away, making Uzume cry out in disappointment.

With a pout she grumbled into his chest, pinching what piece of bare flesh she can reach, getting a muttered "ow" for each pinch.

The MBI choppers finally pulled away and set off towards their tower, quieting things around the rooftop at last. A voice emanated from the hand holding Uzume to him. The pair was surprised momentarily; Hanatarou snapped out of it first and put the ear piece on, hearing Takami's voice, "About time you put it on. There's a small switch that's surprisingly stubborn to flip for its size on the earbud. Hit it to talk and flick it back to mute," a tinny version of Takami's voice instructed.

With a nearly imperceptible click, Hanatarou unmuted the mike (which he assumes to be the 3-inch long cable jutting forward to his mouth from his ear. He wonders how powerful the mike is), "Test, te-"

"Yes, it works just fine. It's not as if I was just using it," the Sekirei Plan Director snarked subtly, causing the stockbroker to feel a little silly he didn't think of that. "These have an effective range of 50 kilometers, almost 70 if there're no obstructions at all, but this is a big city so of course there'll be obstructions. Matsu can change their frequency when she gets her thieving hands on them; make sure she does so. I don't want your chatter flooding our waves. Oh, and Sekirei are infertile until the end of the plan, so go buck wild. You'll tire a long time before they will," she said in a tone as if she was discussing the weather, pausing for that to sink in, "Anyways, have fun turning into a human raisin," a small but distinct click was heard; Hanatarou guessed it was the sound of Takami's mike muting. Numbly he removed the ear piece after silencing his own piece, wondering where the hell her cold professionalism went at the end, not to mention how much she had seen of his and #10's earlier exploits.

Uzume, despite her proximity, couldn't hear half the conversation (if you can call it that, Hanatarou only said a word and a half) and asked what that was about. Hanatarou, being the professional he is, knows how to make choice edits of the truth and told her Takami gave him some info on the ear pieces and instructions for Matsu to make their own frequency.

Nodding her acceptance, Uzume then mentioned she wanted cheeseburgers made by her own personal chef (AKA him). Hanatarou then asked if they could get back to his car at the park so they can store the unwieldy case and no longer deal with lugging it around. On the way to his car via Sekirei Direct Transit, Hanatarou made a mental note to start jogging on his treadmill. He then added a mental sticky to said note to _get_ a treadmill.

-~Cue the 1960's Saturday morning cartoon music, it's a scene shift~-

"Uzume~, would you call Matsu?" Hanatarou's voice rang out from the kitchen.

"Here, Hana-tan. Is it dinner time already?" The Sekirei of Wisdom announced her presence as she strolled into the kitchen to see Hanatarou with a plate on each arm and a glass of lemonade in each hand.

"Yeah, and I've got something to discuss with the both of you," he informed #02, getting raised eyebrows in response.

Matsu made an affirmative noise in the back of her throat as she adjusted her glasses. Uzume poked her head into the kitchen's window and let out a long, exaggerated, "O~oh," with an upward inflection in the middle then took a moment to regain her breath and continued speaking, "Why so serious, h~m? Not that I mind seein' ya all business-like," she said with a wink.

"Well, I figured it was about time we discussed our game plan," he explained plainly.

Uzume and Matsu simultaneously blinked. Hanatarou nodded absently as he gathered his thoughts, as if dropping bombshells is a casual and natural thing for him to do.

"Well, don't just stand there, sit down and eat as I talk. I'll dig in when I'm done since this'll take a while; no need for all of us to go hungry while I flap my gums," he began as he moved to stand in front of the table after serving their plates, his Sekirei doing as he asked and enjoying the tender one pound cheeseburgers with bacon, grilled ham, avocado and their choice of greens on toasted pretzel buns, with crisp, golden-brown potato skins coated in a mild season blend and sweet 'n sour sauce on the side, to which he vouched for.

Hanatarou took the floor without further ado, "Uzume. Y'know that unspoken rule to tell your opponent your name and number?" #10 nodded as she continued to inhale her requested dinner, "Do you _really_ care about it?"

With an audible swallow, the Veiled Sekirei responded, "Not really~? It's kind of a silly rule if ya think 'bout it."

The leader of the meeting nodded, "Good. Fuck that rule. So far the only front line we've got is you, and while you proved you can kick ass with the best of them today, I see little point in spoiling the element of surprise by shouting your name before you get the drop on any hostile. So I repeat. Fuck. That. Rule," he explained his reasoning, making sure to emphasize his last six words slightly, "If any Sekirei you fight end up giving you shit about it, there's two things you ought to know: One, the defeated have no need to hear the victor's reasons. Two, even if they do get riled up at what they'll see as blatant disrespect, good. The hotter their head gets, the bigger chance they'll make a mistake you can capitalize on," Hanatarou began to pace as he spoke, getting into the meeting, "Since it's just the three of us against another 106, not counting Ashikabis, we're going to fight dirty: Surprise attacks, hit and runs, taking hostages even, if things escalate so far. If either of you have a problem with that, speak up now or forever hold your silence," he paused as he made eye contact with each of his Sekirei, "I'm being serious here, if either of you even have the slightest problem with it, don't be afraid to call me out on it, I won't get angry. Hell, I'll be happy you did so!" he added.

When neither Wagtail spoke up, he pressed on, "Alright then. Next order of business. Us joining Homura as Guardians of the Unwinged. Besides you pretty ladies asking all nice-like, I have another more selfish reason for accepting-"

"Ooh, ooh, Matsu knows!" #02 interjected as she bounced in her seat and raised her hand as if she were a giddy student eager to answer a teacher's question. Hanatarou wordlessly pointed at Matsu to continue, "Is it so Hana-tan can pick what Sekirei he wings?"

"Huh, makes sense Matsu. That true, bro? Are we not woman enough to sate yer base desires?" Uzume added with a mock pout.

"Yes, that is **exactly** why Uzume is risking her life and I risk mine on the patrols I'll join her on, just so I can drown in alien pussy," he drawled with a voice dipped in every known form of sarcasm to man (and several known to monkeys!), "No!" he said loudly, getting a snicker from both girls, "No, my actual reasoning is to gain a reputation. If word gets out an Ashikabi is risking his neck for the Sekirei, even if they don't get winged by me, they'll at least respect my willingness to help them. Chances are as they bask in the orgasmic afterglow of whatever kind of wild, hip-slapping sex they have with their Ashikabi, they'll mention me off-handedly and if the Ashikabi is a good fellow he/she'll connect the dots that I'm the reason they get to have their very own absurdly beautiful alien they can kiss and fuck all they like. Shit like that can get me favours. And for my end-game, I'm going to need as many Sekirei backing me up as I can get, aside from going around and being the world's biggest hypocrite by forcibly winging Sekirei. Which leads me to Step 1 in my grand design, get our name out there in a good light. Any questions?"

Matsu took off her glasses before speaking, "What's Step 2 and the end-game?" A simple question, though those in the know would be aware the simple questions are often the hardest to answer.

Thankfully Hanatarou came prepared for that one: "One step at a time, Matsu though good on you to think ahead. It's not time for it anyway, so no point dragging the meeting longer for information you don't need yet. We'll cover that any time from two weeks to a week and a half at the latest before."

"I got one," Uzume spoke up, chin resting on the palms of her hands, dinner forgotten for now.

"Shoot."

"How long have ya been cookin' this up?" she asked as she rotated a wrist in his general direction.

The accountant once again turned tactician's brows furrowed slightly in confusion, "You mean dinner? I'd say just under an hour and a half, why?"

"No, yer plan," the Veiled Sekirei said after failing to cover up a snort of amusement.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Hanatarou's face, "Long enough," he answered succinctly.

Uzume and Matsu did a simultaneous dead-pan. Their Ashikabi noted they were getting good at that before #02 spoke up, "That doesn't really answer Uzu-tan's question."

"No, it does; you're just not accepting it as an answer," he countered. Both Sekirei paused as they let that sink in. Hanatarou had an idea where their thoughts were going to drift and adjusted his angle a bit, "Let me ask both of you a question: Say the Sekirei Plan ends. I don't mean someone wins, I mean it just ends and the three of us happen to be alive and well at the end of it. What would you want to do then?"

"A honeymoon to Acapulco and two kids would be a good start," Uzume answered quickly.

"Matsu is with Uzu-tan on the two kids, although Matsu would prefer her honeymoon to be at Germany," #02 gave her two cents with a single nod.

Hanatarou's eyebrows rose, "Did you girls do some research on where you wanted a vacation? And neither of you even asked my opinion about it?" If one were just listening on the conversation and unable to see the various expressions and nuances of the trio involved, one would guess Hanatarou was upset. His small smirk of amusement however, would discredit such a theory.

"Well du~h," Uzume drawled, borderline insolently, "What do we need yer opinion for when all we need ta do is ask ya all nice-like with a flutter of our pretty little eyelashes?" she said as she gave a demonstration of said eyelash fluttering.

"Yeah, Hana-tan would just give us what we want anyway. Uzu-tan and Matsu are way too beautiful for Hana-tan to even think of saying no," she said haughtily, visibly preening and throwing her twin braids back, forgetting her hair should be down for the desired effect of such a gesture.

With a champion's poker face, a figurative lightning bolt struck Hanatarou: They were right. He really did give them what they wanted and sure neither of them had particularly expensive tastes (Matsu's computer parts for upgrades notwithstanding, although Hanatarou knew a guy so the prices weren't _that_ steep either), he sure caved in and made sure they weren't left wanting (with the exception of sex. Although that was going to change in a few hours, may Kami have mercy on his pelvis and genitals).

Making a mental note to reflect upon this at a later time, he chuckled and shrugged, unable to deny the truth. "Well, regardless of where you gals want to go for a lovely vacation, my point is, I want what you two want: I want us to stick together, live a long life and more importantly to have fun. Kami knows I did enough bullshit to warrant a break or two which leads me to my next point. I'm going to be giving my letter of resignation to my workplace tomorrow, timing it with my next pay period, which is in two weeks. As **dreadful** as it will be to have to spend every waking moment with the two most beautiful women known to Sekirei-kind, it has to be done," he said in mock-reluctance while Matsu made a show of crossing her legs in an effort to accent her luscious hips and thighs, which with her pseudo-cheongsam and how high the slit on each side of her went, made her show a delightful amount of skin, while a rosy pink hue coloured her cheeks. Uzume flicked her hair behind her imperiously while straightening her posture to one fitting an Empress (which was impressive in and of itself, as she was dressed in her standard absurdly tight jeans and pink and purple top with a star on it, plus her overall vibe of playfulness makes having such a regal aura nigh impossible to pull off), as if silently saying it was obvious who were the most beautiful Sekirei known to Sekirei-kind, "Kami forbid someone smart wings a Brain-type, does research on who else has a Brain-type," he silently pointed both thumbs at himself in a "This guy!" pose, grinning like a fool before continuing, "and has the wise idea that I should be, disposed of. So for practical reasons, fuck work. Man, what ever will I do with all that extra time?" Both Matsu and Uzume leaned forward while lightly rubbing their thighs together, the pair having a perfect idea **who **to do to pass the time. "Maybe I'll finally get to sit down and learn my latest Chopin piece?" he asked himself absently, making sure to be just loud enough to be heard. Both alien women were conflicted, as they loved hearing him play but would still want some personal time with their Ashikabi. "Or maybe I should dedicate to my stocks, to ensure the financial future of our children is secured?" Once again, neither super-powered woman knew what to say, as they were delighted he had no qualms with children, even going so far as to solidify the belief their kids wouldn't be left wanting, but still wishing to interject and say they'd like to get to the baby-making sooner rather than later.

Hanatarou however, couldn't hold in his laughter anymore and guffawed in a jolly manner, thoroughly enjoying his Sekireis' expressions, "O~oh, you girls should've seen the look on your faces!" with a short chortle he flicked a tear of mirth away from his eye, "Priceless!"

The girls' each had a different reaction: Uzume knew she was had and just laughed good-naturedly, seeing there wasn't much else she could do. Matsu was mildly upset, as was noted by her pout and whiffle-bat like blows she rained upon whatever part of Hanatarou she could strike, causing him to only laugh harder.

With a gradually weakening chuckle, he made to conclude the meeting, "Alright, alright, last order of business," Matsu kept her childish pout, crossing her arms and pointedly looking away while Uzume leaned her arm on the backrest of her chair while resting her head on her wrist, looking like an amused Cheshire. "We're going to need safe houses." #02 figured acting like a spoiled child rejected her request for candy wasn't exactly the best idea right now while #10 sobered up slightly. "On the chance our home is compromised, it would be prudent of us to prepare at least three areas scattered around the city to fall back to incase of extenuating circumstances. My first idea for one would be Izumo Maison, as Miya will undoubtedly be delighted with the return of her former tenant Uzume and two new ones in Matsu and myself. Which leaves two more places for us to find, buy, set up and fall back to if needed. Any suggestions?" he questioned, primarily aiming his inquiry towards the Sekirei of Wisdom.

"Matsu can do some research later Hana-tan. Matsu should have solid results by tomorrow afternoon," she informed him, although realistically it would probably have been done before she went to bed this evening, if it weren't for the great distraction Hanatarou and Uzume would present her with via her spy cameras scattered about their home.

"Well, alright then. Meeting adjourned ladies, we can finally dig in now," he said in relief, as he suddenly felt famished. He was hasty prepping his own burger, which was still reasonably warm due to being left on the stove, along with the two other patties for his Sekirei (a part of him found it absurdly captivating to watch two unbelievably beautiful women eat ridiculous amounts of food without their sizes changing a centimeter, never mind watching them eat large and greasy burgers. He blames his short stint in America for that last thought).

"Neh, Hanatarou?" Uzume asked, catching his attention as #10 wasn't one to use his full first name often.

It didn't take him long to figure what she was about to say, "Want to wait an hour after eating? I don't know about you Sekirei but I know humans sure aren't comfortable lying on their stomachs until at least half an hour after eating."

The Veiled Sekirei's eyebrows shot skyward, "What, yer gettin' a massage too?" she asked out of curiosity.

"No, thanks for offering though," Hanatarou quipped with a smirk momentarily before continuing, "I'm just saying the whole point of a massage is to relax; what I'm guessing of your physiology is based off my own race since we look so damn similar. If you're comfortable lying down right now, that's good to know but I was mainly suggesting an hour later so I'd have time to set the table up," he admitted in a mildly sheepish matter.

"Wait a minute, why is Uzu-tan getting a massage?! Matsu calls favouritism Hana-tan!" Matsu cried out.

Their Ashikabi sighed theatrically, "Oh Matsu…** Your** reward is I don't scold you over the hidden cameras in both bathrooms," he stated flatly, getting an "urk!" for his jab. "Come on Matsu, I might be somewhat of a pervert too but at least I have shame!"

"Shame?" The Sekirei of Wisdom put a finger to her lips and tilted her head slightly.

Hanatarou dead-panned, "The cute, confused look works when you're innocent." Uzume snorted in a failed attempt to hold in her laughter, earning a scowl from #02.

"Mou~ Hana-tan, Matsu is still 'innocent,' you kno~w?" The shameless pervert called out.

"I'm well aware. I'll be changing that today, if Uzume doesn't wear me out too much."

"Don't count on it, bro. I'mma ride ya until I'm all outta hundred yen coins!"

"Make it tomorrow then." He turns before continuing, "Also, a hundred yen coin ride? Really? That's all I am? I'd say I'm more of a mechanical bull, I'd at least _try_ to buck you off, but definitely get you off! Heh."

An eyebrow is raised, "Wait, wait. Hana-tan's going to massage Uzu-tan, and then fuck her?" Curiously, it didn't quite sound like a question tone-wise but the sentence structure indicates an interrogative.

A short nod from Hana-tan, "Naturally. We all kind of built an absurd amount of sexual tension, y'know? I mean, the last couple of walks in the parks ended up with us engaging in a sexually charged sixty-nine. By the way, I am still sore from the orgasm denial, that shit hurts!"

"Wait, wait. You and Matsu have been sixty-nine-ing on your dates?! Why haven't we done anything yet!?"

An internal _Urk!_ would be heard if one could read minds, "Well, we just kind of didn't? Not that the mood wasn't there, it just didn't go there. Although, that movie about the cat going on an adventure to Istanbul, the sixth in the series or whatever, we were **so** going to smash in the theater but then we noticed we weren't alone, remember? There was that one chubby guy asleep right in front of us, ducked down and all. Man, would **that **have been awkward, if you mounted me, he woke up and looked behind him to find the most glorious backside he's ever seen. Hell, he'd probably shove a finger or two up your ass while we went at it and you'd probably just think it was me and things would just escalate from there…"

A double dead-pan stare is aimed at him before #02 spoke up, a thoughtful glint in her eyes, "…Did you take that plot from that one Kon-K-"

"No! I read it, sure but…shut up!"

-~The tides shift, just like this scene~-

Uzume finished stripping and lied down on the new massage table, to wait for Hanatarou to return with the massage oils. She noticed there was a bag from the department store they came from a few hours ago lying next to the smaller, more traditional table and rose from her prone position, believing her Ashikabi to be on a wild goose chase. She instead chuckled, as she found the bag to contain some therapeutic candles. While rather corny in her opinion, she silently appreciated the lengths to which he goes for her.

Uzume lied back down again, and just in time as the door behind her opened to reveal Hanatarou in more comfortable apparel and hoisting a rather sizeable bag for what should just contain a few bottles of massage oil. He set the bag on his supply table, audibly cracked his hands, neck and shoulders, gaining a wince per pop from Uzume and turned around with a half-grin, "You ready for this?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Nah bro, I'm just naked and lying here 'cause I knew ya'd get an amazing view of my ass," she fired back teasingly.

"And boy did I! I'm not one to focus too much on the physical aspects of women but hot damn, as an ass-man, two thumbs wa~y up!" He said as he rummaged in the bag and brought out a jug that forced Uzume to face-palm hard.

"Ya just couldn't help yerself, could ya?" she asked as she stared with a dead-pan at the jug of fabric softener.

"Aw c'mon, you got to admit it was well timed at least," he said with a full grin this time.

The Veiled Sekirei begrudgingly admitted so with a nod. "Ya know, I find it kinda tough to imagine ya workin' in an office all serious like. Yer just such a fuckin' goofball, ya probably piss off yer boss all the time with yer bullshit," she idly said, laying the foundation for Hanatarou to converse.

"Actually, I tend to stick to myself at work. You'd be very surprised to know I am considered the quietest guy at the office," he informed his second Sekirei, "By the way, lavender or sakura petals?" He asked as he raised both bottles of scented oils.

"Sakura petals definitely. And I seriously doubt that!" she stated, calling bullshit on her Ashikabi's admissions of reclusive behaviour.

"No no, it's true. Ask Namikaze-san the next time you see him, he'll back me up on this. Heh, remember the time he came over with some big wigs for the World Cup game?" Hanatarou asked as he coated his hands in the sakura scented oils and poured a small amount on the small of Uzume's back (getting a slight shiver from her as he did so) so he can re-soak his hands somewhat mid-massage without pausing, "He approached me at lunch break the next day cracking jokes about me being an impostor. That was the most social he's ever seen me outside of work. Keep in mind, it's not that he thinks I can't talk; how else would I be so quick about smoothing things out with troublesome clients? It's just he finds I keep a real cold, professional attitude and that was the most open he's seen me, excluding the times we go out drinking or have dinner with big time clients," he rambled on, already working his magic along the shoulder blades, collarbone and neck of #10. Interestingly enough, when he got his hands on her Sekirei Crest, a hard and visible shudder racked Uzume's entire frame as she bit her lip hard to prevent from crying out; this was a futile effort as her Ashikabi would've had to been dead from the neck up for about two seconds to miss the full-bodied reaction she just had.

"No kiddin'?" Uzume gasped through the gap between her headrest, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of her Ashikabi's powerful hands; it seems he learned well from his younger sister.

"Yeah, you got to be charming at those kind of dinners, not to mention you got to do your research: You got to know what his hobbies are, got to appreciate the wife's 'eccentricities,' got to kiss ass subtly, shit like that," he paused in his rant as he noticed Uzume's attention was already long gone: Her eyes were half-lidded, the tiniest moans and sharp breaths were heard as he kneaded deeper into her muscles and joints, the utter relaxation he can feel spreading and sinking in as he shifted to her mid-back. He kept silent as he noticed #10's bone and muscle structure are pretty much identical to a human's, from what he can feel through his hands, also noting the springy yet very firm nature of the muscles. He thought upon what he knew of the Sekirei from Matsu's lectures and he found himself recalling the fact the Sekirei have avian ancestors. He wondered how exactly they came to have the appearance and genetic compatibility to interbreed with humanity, if what Matsu said about the previous Sekirei ships landing in past times and fusing with the local populace at the time is true, never mind the fact humans descended from monkeys. Many things didn't add up and he wished he knew what about this whole Sekirei Plan situation smelled so damn fishy.

He mentally shrugged and dismissed his wandering thoughts for now. It's not as if he'd find the answers in Uzume's delectably rotund ass (which he is currently kneading like fresh wads of dough). There is just not enough pieces of the puzzle available to figure things out at this moment in time, so no point sweating the details yet.

Hanatarou silently kept his pace and moved towards Uzume's thighs, noting the moisture leaking from her honeypot. Like all men interested in a woman to some degree, he was feeling rather proud of himself for making his partner feel so good, even if he hasn't needed to drop his shorts yet.

Hanatarou knew he couldn't just knead #10 supple skin forever, or else she'd fall asleep and he'd feel bad if he'd have to wake her up just to get his jollies off. He made quick work of her shins, but took a little longer with her feet, making sure to be intentionally ticklish so as to bring Uzume out of her sleepiness. It worked well enough, as he heard a stifled giggle as he worked between the toes. He also noticed her wiggle and rub her thighs together as he worked the palm of her feet and her big toe. Making sure to remember those details, he released her feet before asking, "Would you turn around so I can do the front?"

Hanatarou didn't get a verbal response but he was treated to a fascinating sight: Between Uzume's shoulder blades, right around the borders of her Sekirei Crest he got to see the Veiled Sekirei's power at work. Threads began to form, slowly at first then it picked up the pace exponentially and before long, an entire veil was formed. He was so enthralled at the casual creation out of nothing he didn't even notice the veil had wound its way around his waist.

The amateur masseur was lifted and traded spots with Uzume, as she took a few moments to test her freshly massaged body. She bounced on the balls of her feet, momentarily hypnotizing Hanatarou with the Mounds of Male's Bane (Legendary Breasts, +25 to sexual appeal, +20 Charisma. Effect: Draws an inordinate amount of staring) bouncing in a way no straight or bisexual man (bi and lesbian ladies included) can ignore. Uzume even went so far as to lift a leg straight upwards very quickly in a snappy show of flexibility. "Hot damn bro, I haven't felt this good since ya winged me!" she exclaimed in wonder. Uzume made a show of doing more stretches, from putting her ankle behind her neck to doing a split so easily it would put any ballerina, dancer and martial artist to shame. "I already knew this, but ya really got some magic hands, ya know?" arousal momentarily forgotten from both sides (it's nigh impossible to hide a boner in basketball shorts, something Hanatarou learned a long time ago which was why he wasn't bothering. Not like he could even if he wanted to, Uzume still had her veil keeping him seated and using his hands was a dead giveaway), #10 strode over to her Ashikabi and gave him a quick, yet passionate kiss, "Thank you," she said as she knelt down in front of him, slipping his shorts off as she went, "How 'bout I show ya how much I 'preciate ya, h~m?"

\- ~When life gives you LEMONS, hint hint~-

"Not one to waste time, eh?" Hanatarou noted in a light tone, relaxing himself as much as possible when one was getting his knob kissed and licked.

"Why would, I? Ya ever heard, of sexual, frustration!?" She asked haltingly between more licks with no small amount of heat, mainly lustful but with an undeniable hint of steel. Apparently this was a big thing for her, who knew?

"Yeah, actually," this guy did. "I'm at a rate of less than one wank a month. Don't pretend I didn't notice the always clean smelling sheets, Matsu's grand online pilgrimage through everything smut related ever, and your closet in your lonely room. For the record, you're missing bloomers," by now Uzume was taking his shaft in her mouth, the flush of her face he saw and start of surprise he felt through the very tip made him chuckle lightly before continuing, "-a wedding dress, or any video game cosplay. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll make it up to me, as you're undoubtedly proving right now as I'll make it up to you, if you'd let me," he said with a gesture to the table.

An audible slurp then pop is heard, "Damn bro, ya snuck in my room? The fuck?" she said with her signature teasing grin; it didn't bother her in the slightest, she just decided to play along with Hanatatou's game. As she spoke, she moved to make their interpretation of Ouroboros, a yin-yang symbol, etc. with her on top while he braced his back on the table.

Apparently Hanatarou was hungry and had ceased conversation to sate his appetite. With a probing pair of fingers, he teased the immediate vicinity in the depths of her nectar-coated clam as his tongue teased her pink pearl's fleshy shell. Uzume gasped lightly and pressed herself against him harder. A muttered "oh fuck" was heard before she returned fire, taking his pole however she saw fit, from simply breathing on the tip (the way it would squirm slightly made her giggle. Matsu was the reason behind that somehow, she just knew it) to taking his shaft to the base, her hands busy rubbing gentle circles around his balls all the while. Soon, Uzume began to shudder and squeeze Hanatarou's head with her bountiful thighs. He redoubled his efforts with his fingers and, having unsheathed her delicate bud, vigourously assaulted it with his tongue. With a cry he felt more than heard, considering his fleshy earmuffs, she was brought over the edge. They both remained in the ninety-six for a few moments until Hanatarou slapped both asscheeks lightly, non-verbally signaling for her to get off.

A quick sweep of her meaty leg past his point of view as he licked the dew upon his lips, rising from the table all the while. Thankfully he had insisted on fruit salads for breakfast, so Uzume tasted really good. As he tongued off the moist mustache, #10 had gotten off him and he stood to position himself behind her. "Uzume," how Hanatarou said her name all serious-like temporarily drew the Veiled Sekirei out of her pink haze, "I know I can be a real ass sometimes but you always roll with my punches. I'm sorry I've neglected our needs and I'm going to make it up to us. You first naturally, although the way you tried to pop my head like bubble wrap with your thighs told me I succeeded already," he earned a peal of laughter as chuckled himself and began to trail his hands all around her rear, slowly climbing upwards as his voice gradually lowered in pitch and volume, "And there something-" he traced a circle around her navel, "-I don't tell you-" he enveloped as much of her breasts with both hands as physically possible, making sure to tweak her nipples for a silent moan and shudder, "-enough, and that is-" his fingers skated up her neck delicately and finally reached one of her cheeks and jaw. He leaned forward as he slightly pulled her upwards from her bent over position, lips at her ear. The words spoken were too soft to be heard beyond a yard away, despite the only background noise being each other's heavier than normal breathing. The reaction was as intense as it was sudden: Uzume's cheeks went fully ablaze, she turned towards her Ashikabi and snagged his jaw with one hand, his lips with her own while her other hand shot down to his length, aligned it with her entrance and pushed her hips back to rapidly take Hanatarou's full length within her.

As soon as this happened, it became the cause of three effects, not all of them grand but important in their own ways. Mostly unnoticed by both lovers, Uzume's purest of white wings had blossomed forth, which should go without saying. What the three effects are as follows: Uzume's wings, after appearing had curved inward, as if cocooning the pair of now rutting lovers which the lust-filled Ashikabi noticed. They had also grown in length and brightness, which Hanatarou also noticed but dismissed both quickly as being indoors in a smaller room with the curtains being thick and drawn forced the wings to curve inward as they did and allowed the light to appear brighter than usual. The third was the reason of the first two and would go for a while unnamed, then suspected, researched followed by discovered and finally enacted again ten times. But that last effect isn't meant to be written about yet, so on with the show!

Right out the gates, Hanatarou was anything but gentle with his thrusts or ministrations. The adventurous nature of both of his hands, shlong and mouth were thorough and he made sure to back-track in order to test for a certain reaction, be it a louder moan, a shudder or a deep gasp for air from his lover. To her credit, Uzume did her best to give back, with wandering hands of her own, tracing the lean lines and contours around her Ashikabi's chest and belly. Hanatarou was putting his multi-tasking skill to excellent use, from kissing his way up Uzume's neck and around her jawline as a hand worked over a breast at a time, drawing lazy circles of varying sizes or tweaking a nipple as if he was adjusting an old radio to rid the static from the music. His other hand worked Uzume's sopping cunt, making sure to avoid her hyper sensitive bead for now, figuring running with the needle fully in the red right at the start is just too much, even for him.

_God damn, her voice is ambrosia for the ears,_ Hanatarou thought through his amour-fogged mind as he abandoned her bountiful breasts to lift a leg, placing her shin at his shoulder as he bent his knees slightly to change his angle upwards. The repeated muttering of "Oh fuck!" and "So good!" plus the swaying of her head indicated #10's approval. At this point both lovers were drenched in sweat and try as he might, Uzume's slick and tight grip was going to bring him to the end of his rope soon, as was evidenced by his stuttering thrusts and patched, ragged breathing.

He grabbed the other leg and lifted Uzume fully off the ground and pressed her flush against his chest. In a weird moment of synchronization, she spun around to meet him face to face, ankles locked at the small of his back. Hanatarou rushed to the wall to use it as leverage and after locking lips once again, then he really let her have it. Wordless wails and squeals from the Veiled Sekirei spurned his efforts, as his hands were borderline attacking her ass and clit.

"I-I'm cummin'!" Uzume cried out in a deceptively quiet volume. With a wordless grunt, Hanatarou buried his face in the crook of her neck and sheathed himself fully as they both exploded with their respective climaxes.

Uzume wore the silliest, wobbly grin on her face as drool leaked from an edge of her lips as Hanatarou found himself weak in the knees and heaving for air from how hard he came. He slowly lowered them both to the floor and laid back, wrapping his arms around Uzume and got to work on catching his breath. The Sekirei stamina won out in the end and #10 recovered damn quick, sitting up on her lover and in an agonizingly slow pace, she began gyrating her hips. Her side-tail had at some point became undone, giving her hair an uneven and messy, yet far from unattractive look. The completely lust-filled gaze she aimed at him along with her difference in hairstyle stirred Hanatarou for another round. The silent begging for more from Uzume would not go unanswered, although he still found his legs a little shaky.

He refused to let that stop him though, and Hanatarou made to rise but found a pair of veils enveloping his arms and gently yet firmly pushing him down. It appears his tomboyish goddess would deign to service him this time as she took to riding him, her masterfully sculpted navel undulating much like one of her veils when raised at the ready, or a gentle ocean current striking upon a beach. Not one to just lie back and do nothing, he braced his feet on the wall in order to at least thrust back as his hands found the utterly captivating mounds of bouncing flesh, much to Uzume's vocal approval.

It was truly like a wet dream borne into reality: Uzume's hip work put bellydancers to shame, a hand hidden from his view but undeniably working, if the gentle caress he could feel on his nuts were anything to go by. Even with his hands working them over, Uzume's breasts still had a hypnotic bounce to them. In entirety, what really captured his attention and fired him up more than anything before was her face. A full-faced blush and unshaking eye contact was made; both were so utterly enraptured with each other it would unnerve the common populace were they in public and not trying to shatter each other's pelvises. It was in this moment he fully saw how stupidly lucky he was, and the karmic backlash he'd suffer in his next five lives would be so fucking worth it.

Hanatarou's legs finally recovered and he made to rise again, this time stopped by a hand instead of veils, "Uh-uh, lover. Yer mine now," she cooed breathily, as she braced herself on his chest with both hands, leaned forward and made like a piston and moved her hips fiercely.

It was the most lovely kind of torture for Hanatarou, who always believed in giving back when he found any benefit in something or he'd feel unworthy, "Dammit Uzume, let me up!" he said through gritted teeth.

"H~mm, why? So ya can pound my cunt like a jackhammer?" She asked coyly as she.

"And until your eyes cross, your toes bend and your knees give out. Now, let-me-up!" he half-shouted, accenting the last three syllables by making a bridge* while bracing himself using the wall once again and his neck muscles.

"Ah-ahn!" Uzume moaned throatily, distracted long enough for her Ashikabi to turn the tables. He reversed their positions, grabbed Uzume's ankles and placed them level with her head as he angled himself coming into her from above, exploring fronts yet ventured.

Uzume's eyes narrowed at him after coming down from the burst of pleasure, "You-" her words were lost to the world as her mouth was occupied by an assaulting tongue. Any indignation she felt at being denied the chance to pleasure her lover evaporated as she embraced the loving she was given. Her back was braced to the floor and had her hips assaulted from above with unique thrusts: Hanatarou would slide inward rapidly and pull out ever so slowly, finding a way to tease her even while going balls deep. Hanatarou broke the kiss and raised one of her feet to his mouth, teasing the pads of each of her toes with his teeth and licking in between, to her utter and surprised delight.

Once again, the pressure build-up was reaching critical capacity on both ends. Hanatarou gently raised Uzume to her feet, bent her over and assailed her from behind as a hand decided it was time to once again work her lovely bead, drawing lazy circles and flicking it with gentle fingers while the other hand was grasping as much of her voluminous rear as possible, kissing all the while. Soon, he broke the kiss for a massive gasp for air and to say, "Uzume, I'm almost-"

"Me too. Give it to me!" Her voice was a siren's song he couldn't deny even if he tried. He practically slammed their hips together as fast as he could, resisting to the end and Uzume let out a warbling wail, crying out her passion to the world with utter abandon as she climaxed harder than before. Uzume's release chained into Hanatarou's own, and when he came down from his pleasure high he found Uzume still bent over, valiantly attempting but failing to suppress powerful shudders coursing throughout her entire bodice and a love bite he didn't remember making at the nape of her neck, right above her Sekirei Crest. The couple found their entire bodies shaking as the sheer ecstasy overloaded each other's senses.

"Ho~oly shit. That wa-that was somethin'," Uzume gasped out, eloquently explaining the rapture that just surged through their bodies. Hanatarou, to his credit, basically went through the sexual ringer and found himself unable to move, aside from rolling off of Uzume, collapsing on the floor and his chest heaving in an attempt to gather his breath. As he was incapacitated Uzume fingered the bite he left on her and leaned down to snuggle, pressed her lips to the side of his neck and gave him a massive hickey, which he accepted without complaint (although considering his still mostly whited-out mental facilities, he probably just didn't notice).

"Sure was, huh? Makes me wonder why the hell I held out." He got out after a short while, still pressed for air.

"Right? Yer usually a smart guy but ya gotta admit that was stupid."

"No doubt."

"Like, maybe it's a human thing, I dunno but that was maybe the dumbest thing ya've done."

"E~eh... there was that one time I was dared to do a handstand on an oil drum."

"Seriously?! And you fell on your face tryin', didn't ya?"

"No, no I did a perfect handstand. It was when it started rolling down the hill it was on that shit hit the fan."

Uzume turned on her side to face him, enraptured by the story, "Holy crap!"

He chuckled before continuing, "Yeah, that's what I thought. I jumped ship early, before momentum could really kick in and rolled down the hill myself. Got enough gravel embedded in my arms to be considered stoned, heh. Thankfully it happened when I was eight, plus only a few stones managed to cut into me so no scars but damned if it didn't hurt like hell. I couldn't walk straight for like five minutes as my older brother and our shared pals laughed their asses off," he finished with a nostalgic smile.

They both basked in silence for a few moments but were interrupted by Uzume's venturing hand, "Uzume..." Hanatarou groaned wearily.

She winked saucily at him, "Oh, don't act like ya don't wanna go again."

He rose to his knees and spread Uzume's legs himself, "Are you kidding? I busted an entire nut each shot! I mean look at this!" His thumbs spread her opening as his essence oozed out of her freely, "That is a lot of spunk. There's no way I can shoot another..." he faltered as he noticed Uzume's raised eyebrow, "What?"

She took on the most amused version of an "Are you serious?" face she can manage and pointedly looked down at her Ashikabi's crotch. He followed her gaze to see Capt. B. Helmut standing at attention, his exhaustion be damned. Hanatarou actually blushed lightly and turned away in embarrassment. "Alright, so I might have three testicles like Dr. Evil. So what?!"

A peal of laughter emits from Uzume as she just grabs her lover's chin and brought him down so they can wrap themselves in each other's embrace once again.

-~Ya make LEMONADE, another not so subtle hint~-

Hanatarou silently tucked Uzume into bed and let out an amused puff of air as she immediately reached out for him despite her deep slumber. He realized his mistake almost too late, barely managing to lean away from her grasp. He mouthed a choice curse in surprise as he backed away then made to go fetch Matsu for bed as #10 began to stir restlessly. As he approached their shared workroom, he heard moans and grunts that sounded eerily familiar...

Abandoning all pretenses of stealth, he all but burst the door open to find Matsu masturbating heavily to a recording of his and Uzume's multiple rounds of steamy sex. "Wow, with a little editing, more camera angles and some music and we'll have an amateur porn site in the making," he stated.

"Does Hana-tan want to start one? Matsu, nnh, has more angles already," and sure enough, she cycled through five other camera angles without use of her hands, seeing as they were busy at the moment.

"I wasn't serious," he stated slowly, then he started to think about it, "But it would sell because you and Uzume are goddesses given flesh. Eugh, but that would make me feel like I'm whoring you both out. Besides, the more important thing is whether or not you'd be ok with that!" he said, unusually animated considering his delightful exhaustion.

Matsu turned to face him with both eyebrows raised, the confrontation she planned delayed in light of Hanatarou's views on the current matter, "Hana-tan is alright with being a porn star? Really? Matsu...did not expect that."

Hanatarou shrugged nonchalantly, "Well, if I'm going to temporarily retire at 24, might as well have fun doing it, right? Especially now that I'm putting out and as long as you two consent, why not? We'll have a blast and you and Uzume will gain a fan club which I'll find hilarious," he finished with a short chortle.

At some point before he stopped talking, Matsu had apparently led him to what was previously her seat, sat him down and straddled him. It was after the little easy-going snicker did he notice the velvety softness of Matsu's legs coiling around his. He looked up to view her face and was struck with a moment of clarity. As soon as #02's mouth opened, presumably to begin to chew out her Ashikabi, her mouth was suddenly preoccupied defending itself from an aggressive invader. Against all Sekirei logic, Matsu tried to pull away and scold Hanatarou. He was, however, quite talented at reading people and was no stranger to coming up with the right words on the spot, "You're pretty upset at me, huh?" he said more than asked in a low tone, rubbing small comforting circles between her shoulder blades and left thigh, burrowing his nose into the crook of his first Sekirei's neck.

"Matsu wonders whatever gave you that idea," she said in a caustic manner, even if she was already losing heart in her anger due to his gentle ministrations.

He nodded into her neck, tickling her collarbone with the stubble he would shave off in the morning, "Yeah. I expected as much," he said, trailing off then sighing. He leaned into the chair and captivating Matsu's chin, capturing her eyes with his own, "Give me two days. You'll get the same treatment, dinner request, full-body massage and all. Sorry you weren't first, despite how worthless these words must sound to you."

"You love her, don't you?" #02 interjected softly, her glasses resting on her head, signifying the trigger for the speech mannerism change.

To his credit, Hanatarou didn't hesitate when he nodded, "Sure do. Love you too, although if you're expecting me to lie and say just as much as her, well sorry to disappoint. This isn't some VN where I can get away with such a wishy-washy response. This is real life and not just fantasy, although I am most certainly not caught in a landslide."

"And there is no escape from reality. But that's ok, because I will open your eyes and make you see," were the whispered words Matsu emitted before the pair made out for a couple minutes. As Hanatarou made to stand, an arm wrapped around #02's waist so she wouldn't fall, a hand upon his chest ceased his rise. "Matsu won't be satisfied with just breaking even, you know? If Uzu-tan gets one up on Matsu, Matsu will never live it do~wn!" she moaned with a pout, the glasses having dropped back down and somehow settled on her face hands-free, albeit a tad off-center.

Hanatarou hesitated then shrugged helplessly, "Give me 'till tomorrow, I'll have something concrete then. If you get an idea though, feel free to pitch it. Considering your e-porn collection, maybe heading out for a few hard copies will be up your alley?"

Matsu scoffed while allowing Hanatarou to stand while still carrying her, "Screw that. Matsu would rather have her books scanned. Less paper to burn plus the redrawers at least touch up the censorship digitally, never mind the few books that get," the Sekirei of Wisdom leaned forward to whisper the last word, "uncensored."

Hanatarou's eyebrows raised, "And here I am offering you raws to set up for scans and you're saying no? Well shit, don't say I-"

He was cut off by a pair of hands suddenly slapping over his mouth, the force of which actually staggered him somewhat, "W-well Matsu isn't entirely against the idea of a few books. Just a few though!" Matsu quickly corrected, putting on a tsun act.

Hanatarou rolled his eyes, "D-don't misunderstand, I'm only accepting because you offered to pay, not because it'll be... a gift from you..." he continued the act, even doing the avoiding of eye contact and nervous shuffling typical of a tsundere in this situation, "...Or something like that?"

Matsu smiled beatifically, "Hana-tan knows Matsu's shenanigans already."

He snorted as he used #02's rear to push the door to his bedroom open, quieting his voice so as to not disturb Uzume's fitful slumber, "Thank Kami our shenanigans are cheeky and fun."

"And not cruel and tragic?"

At this point Hanatarou was already laying them both on the bed, Matsu apparently perfectly fine with hanging half-on, half-off his right side. He idly wondered how she could do so comfortably with her massive mammary mounds being squished by his chest and her mild weight, like isn't that kind of painful? "Which would make th-" a yawn interrupted him, "-them not shemamiguns. At a-all. Oh fuck it," he gave up finishing the reference and just let his head drop upon his pillow, fast asleep in seconds. Uzume subconsciously and near immediately reacted to his presence, captured his left arm and wedged it between her bosom and thighs. Her previously troubled face went serene in no time and her breathing deepened to match her sleep. Matsu wasted little time following suit, taking a moment before blessed unconsciousness took her to notice the hickey Uzume gave their Ashikabi, thinking she'd give him three of her own after she rode him to oblivion.

*: Ever seen Wii Fit Trainer in Sm4sh? Think of her down-tilt and you sorta get the idea.

A/N: Yeah. I'm a smut peddler now. I don't know how to feel about that. Not dead, surprise, surprise. **Still** could use an editor, as my pace is horrendously slow due to me trying to be objective with my mediocre writing; I can only imagine how you, my few faithful readers feel about my writing speed. I'm writing a little faster at least? Maybe hanging out with my niece is better inspiration for me than I thought? Well, what do you fucks care, not like most readers bother reading these anyway. Decided to cut Kaie, figuring five is plenty for end-game. I'll close the poll the next time I remember to care. Also, for you guys that are frustrated with my pace but don't care enough to step up and help me edit my shit, I'm thinkin' of doin' a teaser section for the next chapter at the end, just so you fellas can get a taste of what's to come at least. Let me know what you guys think about the teaser idea in a review (as long as you criticize me somehow, or just say good job, that's nice too) or a PM (if you don't got anything constructive to say. Flames go here preferably). Well, enough from me. B. Suarez, signin' out.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Read every chapter before this, save for the one with the M scene, and its disclaimer and you'll save me the time. Also, adult content, drug use is around. Discretion advised, yadda yadda.

The pre-dawn rays of the sun gave colour and light to what would be a dreary almost-morning of Shinto Teito, due to a faint fog rolling throughout the city from the oceanside. For one Hanatarou Tanaka, whose house he wisely had built on an elevated foundation and from the balcony of his (now apparently) shared bedroom, allowed him a fair view, considering skyscrapers and smaller apartment and office complexes were in the way. A hand-rolled cigarette was lazily hanging from his lips as he took a deep drag, curiously holding his breath, unless one knew what was really within the rice paper.

A free hand slowly scratched between his bare shoulder blades as he rose from a stool and stretched as much as he could, still trying to shake off his post-sleep lethargy. Hanatarou had made a habit of sneaking out of bed to enjoy a moment of solitude whenever he could; the jay was merely a spur of the moment thing, although not an unwelcome way to start his day. He sat down again and got to enjoying his hand-made labours until it burnt out, or so he somewhat hoped he would.

A faint sliding noise came from the glass door to his left and Uzume emerged, as naked as the day she was born. She smiled beatifically once she spotted her Ashikabi and walked mercurially over, swashaying her hips in a way no straight man could ignore. She fluidly sat upon Hanatarou's lap and leaned in to kiss him but was stopped by a finger that smelled like his jay's substance, "Not that I don't want to, but your wings will be _way _too noticeable out here," he said apolegetically, kissing both her cheeks as penance and began to work his way down her neck with little flutter kisses upon her flawless flesh.

Uzume giggled, wrapped her arms around his neck as his mouth captured a hard nub and suckled it like a babe, "It's 'kay, stud. Ya'll give me plenty before breakfast," she said, voice still drenched in sleep's weight.

With an audible pop that earned a light gasp from the Veiled Sekirei, Hanatarou pulled his mouth away to speak, "Going to be a quick breakfast though. It's my last day at work today and I'd hate to be late for my farewell party. Oh, I'll be out later than usual. Not overtime late but definitely after regular hours late," he informed his passionate housemate, taking a drag of the half-finished joint.

Uzume hummed noncommitally and tilted her head slightly as she watched Hanatarou smoke, "Why do ya smoke that? I'm not complainin', at least it's not that icky smellin' tobacco shit, I'm jus' curious," she explained a little quickly, somehow afraid her inquiry would upset him in some way.

Hanatarou raised his free hand to stroke his chin, obviously gathering himself before answering, "Stress relief that doesn't involve us bumping uglies, although in your case it should be called beau-no, not the right word...a work of art? A masterpiece? O~oh, I got it! A pretty! Now I can quote the Wicked Witch of the West and it'll make some sense! Booyah!" he whisper-shouted his victory, shooting his hands upwards in a silly winner's pose and smile. Uzume visibly endeavoured to withhold her laughter behind both hands, the jiggle of her mounds caused by said efforts distracting Hanatarou only momentarily before continuing, "Where was I? Oh yeah, helps with my appetite, which I surprisingly need. I kinda forgot to eat a lot before you came along, especially on my days off because I'd manically play my piano until my ass was sore from that damned bench. You know, there were some nights where I had to crawl down my own stairs to stave off starving because my legs were **that **asleep? Shit was crazy!" He exclaimed as he shook his head at his own idiocy, Uzume laughing freely now. Hanatarou let her settle down a bit befote continuing, "And it puts me in a different state of mind. Before I met you two I was on my own a lot. Some problems are solved faster when you've got someone with a different mindset to bounce ideas off of, but since this place was a house of solitude, I had no one to really talk to. So, I light up one of these, listen to some J*ff*rs*n **rpl*n* or something like that and I'm more silver than Horseman. Wait that's not right..." he trailed off, trying to remember the right words as Uzume digested his words sobering up from her mirth at the admission of loneliness from her loved one.

Hanatarou was broken out of his reverie by having his head pressed into Uzume's divine valley, a hand each stroking his hair and back, "Well ya won' be alone anymore lover. Matsu 'n I'll make sure of that," she whispered lovingly as she pressed his face deeper.

She felt rather than saw the smile on Hanatarou's face, "Thank you," he said simply, somewhat muffled by her chest. He turned her around so she faced the same direction he was, somehow reviving the cherry upon his jay as they basked in the silence of each others' company.

Uzume was struck with a sudden impulse and acted upon it: She plucked the joint from her Ashikabi's lips and mimicked his lips, rolling them back within her mouth, placed it between her lips and inhaled slowly. The burn was almost completely negligible as Hanatarou gulped silently, figuring she'd need an even larger serving at breakfast which kind of scared, inspired curiosity and amused him; the curious part, what his mother would call his inner mad scientist was delighted to see the effects such a substance would have on an alien. Amazingly, she had burned it to the near end, Hanatarou quickly flicking the nub out of her mouth lest she burn her perfect lips. Like a blast furnace, a large cloud emerged from her lips and nostrils, obscuring her face from his view until she eventually ran out of exhaust to exhume, as she turned her head about slightly, as if expecting something, "I don' feel anythin'," she stated, sounding a little disappointed.

"Give it a few minutes, it'll sneak up on you," he informed her as he pulled out a second jay from behind his right ear, "Care to join me for another?"

Uzume readily agreed and got off him as he made to stand; the sun was on the precipice of rising and he wanted to witness it, despite the distraction a fully nude Veiled Sekirei presented. He pressed his chest flush against her back as his boxers found themselves running out of room quickly, much to the Wagtail's delight, "Hoh? Gonna bend me over the balcony this time?" she whispered in a lusty tone.

He chuckled through the now lit joint as her hips wiggled against him in a tantilizing fashion, "Unfortunately not a good idea. Matsu needs her wedding night too and while I'm up for the challenge, you put a dent in my gun's ammo at least. Matsu wants at least as many shots as you got so, I hate to say no," he leaned forward and rumbled the next words in her ear, "especially when I don't want to..." she shuddered, sorely tempted to remove the measly piece of cloth stopping another round of hip-slapping, toe-curling bliss, but she withheld her baser nature with a herculean effort.

"Speakin' of wedding nights," she turned around and embraced her Ashikabi, "Ya didn't hold anythin' back, huh? With the way ya were poundin' me, I swear ya were tryin' ta knock me up on our first night together," she murmured with lusty undertones streaking about her voice, hands being as frisky as they liked, roaming about his chest, shoulders and back as they pleased as she admired her mark of claim on his neck.

"The way your ankles locked behind me at the end, everytime, I could've sworn that's what you wanted?" Uzume's face flushed nearly crimson as her Ashikabi pressed on with a grin, "And let's not forget who cried out, 'Give it to me!' that second round. Sure as hell wasn't me and the only other person in the room was yo~u!" he said cheekily, a finger prodding her sides lightly.

The Veiled Sekirei groaned in embarrassment, "Alright, geez! I guess hearin' Matsu go on 'bout yer 'hot and sticky DNA' got ta me. Jus' stop makin' fun of me already!" she said in mild exasperation.

Hanatarou was tempted to grill her a little more but figured he'd have his fun later and relented, "Alright, but remember! I may make fun of you, but I do it with love," he said softly as he rubbed her back placatingly.

Uzume's smile returned near instantly and she made to kiss him again but was stopped by a lone finger, "Ah-ah! Your wings will shoot out of my balcony and that's going to be impossible to explain to the neighbors," he chided her lightly.

Uzume groaned in discontent this time, pouting and trying to make eye contact with the imfamous Kicked Puppy Look (Female &amp; Small Cute Creature/Child only skill. Effect: Wears down any mental/emotional resistance at a rate that varies with the target's alignment and overall cuteness of the user).

Hanatarou was on to her game and made a valiant effort to turn his gaze away, a near futile endeavour as #10 was literally surrounding him, using the balcony, wall and glass door as foot and handholds so as to extend her body forward to keep her face at least at his peripherals, gradually widening her eyes further and further.

"Alright, stop! No more! Here's a compromise! I denied you two kisses, I'll give you four before breakfast! Now put those eyes away!" he surrendered gracelessly, having been thoroughly defeated and, although he'd never admit it, a poor loser.

"Hoh? So fer ev'ry kiss I don' get now, I get two later? Sounds like an investment I'd love ta make!" she declared, as she had taken to pouncing full-bodied upon Hanatarou, attempting to snag a kiss.

"Kami dammit, my business sense is rubbing off on you! I'm so proud and exasperated at the same time!" He cried out his duality of emotions, defending his poor, poor lips.

~War...war never changes, but scenes do~

Matsu was in her element. Fingers danced over a keyboard as a mouse cursor moved without a mouse; something she picked up after being winged and once she enters what professional sports players, musicians and the like would refer to as The Zone.

All four monitors were busy with different things: One showed a map of Shinto Teito with several blips scattered about of varying colours as it updated in real time. Some were grouped together, particularly in two of the four cardinal directions. Another monitor showed search results for yesterday's inquiry of potential safehouses; Matsu understood what was happening with the groups to the South and East, and while not as quickly, in their West side as well. Certain Ashikabi's flocks were growing in number, and rather quickly at that. She believed setting up safehouses in those areas would be asking for trouble, which made essentially half of the city unavailable for potential refuge. A part of her appreciated Hanatarou's proactive planning but she thought it was a bit much to have three safehouses when he had it right with the first (and what she believed should be the only) idea of Izumo Maison.

Alas, her mind and this writer as well digress. She continued to do the small job she volunteered for, as the remaining two were doing Matsu things, "Huhuhu~h!" #02 chuckled in her old-man fashion as some random couple whom were feeling particularly amorous in a location they believed no one could see fell prey to her peeping ways. Her eyes lit up behind the glare of her glasses and her hands slapped to her face and she squealed and turned from side to side in her seat as things took their natural course for the couple. "O~h, how bo~ld! Even if it's on the rooftop, schools do have cameras up there, you kno~w? Don't worry, Matsu set up a loop of the last three minutes so no interuptions for yo~u!"

"Peepin' again, Matsu? Ma~n, if Miya were here, ya'd get the Ladle of Death on yer noggin 'till ya get KO'd, ya know?" Uzume sauntered in, having had her fill of making and adjusting her latest outfit. Hanatarou wanted video game cosplay? Well he's in for a treat.

Matsu gave her rival in love the meanest stink-eye she could manage, "Here to brag, Uzu-tan? The battle has been lost but the war has just begun!" Uzume made to interrupt but #02 was all fired up, to say the least, "Mark Matsu's words, Uzu-tan, for one day Matsu will start an amazing porn site with Hana-tan and then we'll TAKE OVER THE WORLD!" #02 put real emphasis on the last four words for dramatic purposes.

At this point, Uzume withstood Matsu's venting and, partly in thanks to her naturally laid-back nature but mainly because she is now well under the effects of arguably the world's greatest cash crop, let her shoot all the hot air she needs to, ranging from how Hanatarou will be the one limping once she was done and how Uzume would eat the leftovers out of her. At some point #10 made a tactical retreat to fetch refreshments from the kitchen and came back at roughly the same time Matsu was finishing up.

"Hey, did ya really keep ramblin' after I left?" Uzume asked through a partial mouthful of gala apple while she pointedly handed a glass of oolong tea to the winded technologic sorceror.

The redhead eyed the glass suspiciously, as she hadn't been facing her peeping monitors to see whether Uzume tampered with it. Then she figured if the Veiled Sekirei really wanted her gone she'd be a lot more up front about it. Like with a cloth spear, a H*mm*r W**v* or something along those lines. Once she downed the drink with haste (rambling made one thirsty, who knew?), "How rude, Uzu-tan wins the Hana-tan bowl and has the gall to leave mid-loser's rant!" #02 pressed her head to the wall and essentially noogied herself, "Oh, Matsu is in despair! The irrelevancy of Matsu's woes has left Matsu in despair!

In another universe, Itoshiki-sensei didn't sneeze, because this isn't that kind of story, even if this segment completely goes against that.

Uzume, for her part, kept right on eating out of the armful of apples she carried with her at a steady yet quick pace. Matsu furrowed her brow in confusion, "Didn't we have lunch less than half an hour ago, Uzu-tan? We Sekirei have quite the appetite by comparison to humans but isn't that a bit much?"

The Veiled Sekirei didn't make the logic jump most human women would make, ignore the question and then ask back 'Are you calling me fat?' and merely shrugged, "Can't help it. Hanatarou called it 'The Munchies' an' said he'd go grocery shoppin' ta help me out with 'em when he came back. He said somethin' 'bout fruit bein' the best cure, although I dunno why he phrased it like that, I don' feel sick at all! Man, these taste so~ go~od!" She said joyfully, once again through mouthfuls of apple, making noises of appreciation throughout.

Matsu shook her head, even more puzzled by Uzume's actions. She likes food as much as the next alien avian descendant but this was a bit much she feels. "Uzu-tan's acting a tad strange. Are you well? Do you have brain damage?" For some odd reason, one could hear a small, gentle voice not belonging to either Wagtail saying 'Staff~, staff~' after she posed her questions, which neither Sekirei noticed.

Normally, when one is asked whether they have brain damage when they don't, it is more often than not considered offensive.

Uzume must have missed the memo however, as the barb was deflected off her Barrier of Not-Giving-A-Fuck (Were you expecting a DnD style description, including stats, effects and equip requirements? If so, you're going to be mildly disappointed). "Nah, I'm good," she answered simply, this time with mouth clear of juicy obstructions as she had polished off her penultimate red spherical fruit of Eve's bane.

"Well, what does Uzu-tan want then?" #02 asked rudely as she turned back to her monitors and got back to her element.

"Ge~ez, try ta keep the joy outta yer voice, will ya? Ya'll make me blush," she said in an amused fashion, well aware as to why she's being stiffed.

Matsu's frown would prove to be perpetual for the time being, "Hmph!" she hmph'd.

"Oi, oi, pull the stick outta yer ass, sista. I ain't here ta gloat. Jus' wanted a civil word, between sisters of the pole," she said airily.

The Sekirei of Wisdom's frown deepened but #10 knew what was coming, "C'mon Matsu, yer as good as screwed, in a good way. Might as well include ya in the two-member club already," the Veiled Sekirei told her partner-in-crime.

As much as Matsu wished to refuse, a part of her, she knew, would be sick with herself if she did so: Were it not for Uzume's full assistance (and whatever convenient distraction happened to rock MBI at the same day and time as the pair's planned snatch and run operation), Matsu would've never escaped (hell never would have even got to the Jinki) and most likely would've been disciplined in a manner that would gain Karasuba's grudging seal of approval. Matsu gestured for her sister to continue.

A rather sharp change in vibe had passed over the two Wagtails, in rather blatant contrast to the slightly stiff yet peaceable air from before as Uzume gathered herself before speaking, "Hanatarou was bein' serious, ya know?"

Matsu took her glasses off as the tension spiked, "About ending the Plan his way? Yeah. Yeah he was," she said simply as she crossed her legs and fixed her steady gaze upon #10. Uzume suddenly felt as if Hanatarou was in the room and in front of his piano when a particular part of a song doesn't sound satisfactory to him. For one who doesn't know that feeling, another way to describe the sensation would be as if a Drill Sergeant was glaring a hole through a toilet a maggot was supposed to be scrubbing clean for the most miniscule imperfections.

Uzume suddenly chuckled a bit, although it did little to ease the tense atmosphere, "He sounds so sure he can change the shitty situation we're in, ya know? I can' help but believe it'll work out, ya know? Him and us two Sekirei against the world..." Uzume lied down and grinned lightly before continuing, "Ain't that a romantic tale fer the ages?"

"Three. Another Sekirei has been reacting to Hanatarou for a short while now. With the details I've been given from our Ashikabi, I think I narrowed down who it is," behind Matsu's back, a monitor had an MBI profile of a #87 Kaho pop up, complete with the full tuner's report of her overall growth and adjustment to Earth with footnotes on the side, basic personality info, her three sizes and even combat stats, done in ***e-*oo* fashion.

Uzume rose from the floor in order to approach and examine said dossier, "'Luck: B?' Who tha fuck is nuts enough ta try an' put a value on somethin' as random as that?!" she exclaimed incredulously.

Matsu merely quirked an eyebrow and dryly answered with one word, just as Uzume came to and voiced the same conclusion: "Minaka," the Wagtails said in stereo.

"Crazy bastard," #02 said with a touch of heat as she shook her head.

"Amen, sista," #10 added with sass.

"Getting back on topic, I wish I had as much faith as you. Not to say I'm doubting Hanatarou, I'm just a but more skeptical things will be as smooth as you believe. Regardless, we'll do it because we have to," Matsu stated with a strange tenseness, which Uzume caught.

"Sounds kinda ominous," the Veiled Sekirei quipped.

"He's already decided it's our game plan. At this point, what can we do but follow his lead?" Matsu tacked on in response.

"Ya got a point there," she said kind of lazily.

"That's all you have to say? 'Ya got a point there?' Aren't you concerned with what's about to go down in this town?" A sense of humour serious Matsu does have.

"Geez, makin' little rhymes in contrast to your frown? Besides, we're supposed ta be speakin' Japanese, ya know? What we just flowed only makes sense in English," she threw back slyly.

"Ple~ase. As if the readers give a flying shit. They're mainly here in hopes of their denied threesome scene," she said with a hint of a scathing tone.

Uzume cocked her head then nodded, "Makes sense. We'd make one helluva book porn series, ya know? I'd read 'bout our sexcapades if I wasn't me," she admitted with no sliver of shame before sobering up a bit, "'Nuff channelin' our inner D**dp**l, we got shit ta discuss an' a man ta have a threesome with, an' it kinda has ta be in that order, since he ain't here 'n all."

"Well Uzume, the ball is in your court," the Sekirei of Wisdom reminded her to-be sister of the pole.

"Yeah, yeah, tryin' ta remember what ya said, keep yer panties on," said Uzume in a slightly absent manner with a lazy wave of a hand.

Matsu wordlessly pulled a Bowie knife out of nowhere and stuck it between her teeth, put on a blood-red headband then lifted the flap of her cheong-sam.

"It was a figure of speech!" Uzume replied while shaking her head, mildly exasperated at Matsu's antics. "Well, yeah that was all I had ta say on the matter. Kinda all I still got too, dunno why yer expectin' an add-on..." #10 trailed off as she shrugged.

"Seriously? Let's fuck the world's biggest and arguably most shady corporation's plan involving the entirety of our race, who will be fighting us the whole way, with a little elbow grease and hope? We don't even know the whole plan! That's like trying to build a bridge without blueprints, or driving a tank without reading the manual, it just doesn't happen!" #02 pressed her point with (not anger, just simply) heat.

Once again the THC in her bloodstream shines on like a crazy diamond, "Well shit, that's kinda why I ain't the brain-type sista, thinkin' 'bout this shit ain't my forté. 'Sides, I believe in Harv-"

"Oh come on, that one doesn't even make sense!" Matsu tsukommi'd the boke with all the frustration one can imagine, sans the harisen.

"Sure it does! 'Cept our Harvey ain't gonna lose his shit over a reporter that ain't even that cute an' won't get half his face melted off. Ya think he'd lettuce (for the non-Engrish population, 'let us') call 'im Harvey? I kinda think it'd suit his smart ass..." Uzume asked with almost childlike curiosity, head tilted to the side with a finger at her lips.

Matsu had her face in both palms.

"I'll take that as a no."

~(scene) Break into Topple into Daze~

Benitsubasa is not happy.

Big surprise, right? Not like the scowl/pout (depending on whom one would ask), the extreme amount of replacement orders for custom-made exercise equipment for the Disciplinary Squad's private usage, whose weight measurement went in several hundreds of kilos a notch as opposed to singles and tens, the larger than usual influx of scientists and aides getting experimental deafness cures implemented on them or the dramatic increase in emasculated and hospitalized security guards all along the MBI (watch)tower the past week were any indication.

No sirree. Not at all a hint towards the Crimson Sekirei's temper.

Minaka, of course, knew the moment Beni-hime ran off to act independently and was about to send Yume to give her a slap on the wrist for splattering a competitor too early when the satellites noticed her speedy return, as if she caught on to her bad idea mid-way. This was the only reason she was allowed to retain her provisional spot with the DS, albeit on thin ice.

Once she arrived and dealt with the inevitable fallout as best as she could (it involved almost beating the stuffing out of Haihane in the beginning of a spar, to the point where the fight once again became serious, making Yume's timely intervention being actually necessary before one or the other killed their opponent), she essentially got saddled as the Director's personal gopher.

As one could imagine, she did not enjoy her new role very much.

Never let it be said Benitsubasa couldn't learn quickly without motivation however. After nearly having an anuerysm the first three days under Minaka's beck and call, she took surprisingly effective mental notes as to the usual orders he'd make: How he takes his coffee, how little he cares about lunch and how more often than not it will go skipped and even when he heads to the top of the tower to overlook the city dramatically. That last part was her favourite, what with the lack of an insane, cape-wearing nuisance to ruin that particular part of her day.

It was in one of those moments of solace she found herself seated at a bench on a balcony overlooking the main lobby of the grand building she lived in, with a strawberry P*cky stick dangling from her lips much like a cigarette would from a weary salaryman's own mouth. The faint patter of other gophers like herself running to and fro, the clattering of the receptionists' keyboards, the rare cough from the guards and all the mish-mash of conversations being carried out were so beyond being background noise to her, she almost didn't notice the light boot steps approaching.

Benitsubasa turned to see none other than #08 Yume, the Sekirei of Fate standing in all her lithe, athletic glory. While the Crimson Sekirei would never utter it aloud, she felt a mild camraderie with the Scrap Number, considering both of their bust sizes are on the slighter side of the boobie spectrum as opposed to the rest of their race, plus the respect she held for her fabled defense of Karakura Island alongside Karasuba. That didn't stop #105 from hating the everloving shit out of her though.

"Benitsubasa! How are you!? Are you enjoying your springtime of youth?!" Yume shouted boisterously with a face-splitting grin that would match a green spandex-wearing taijustu expert's own, complete with shiny sparkly teeth (Ch*p Skyl*rk would be proud) and even the 'Sheeeen!' SFX.

And that is mainly why Beni-hime would lovingly pulverize Yume to a pulp if possible. She is the personification of obnoxious. And even worse, where mama duck goes...

"Yume-shishou! Have you fou-" Bubbly, busty, beautiful Musubi, with all her absurd curves rounded the corner and her eyes widened at the sight of her favourite sparring partner and best friend (aside from Yume-shishou and Karasuba-sama, of course!) Benitsubasa, "Beni-chan! Hi~!" The bundle of perpetual joy and cause of increased blood pressure amongst men bounced over and waved with a copious amount of energy. "Is the Professor doing his 'dramatic poshturing' again?"

"Musubi! It's pronounced posturing!" Yume corrected her student sharply before she could proceed to babble in true airheaded fashion.

Musubi however, like some ditzes, isn't all that receptive to criticism and immediately her eyes grew inhumanly large and began to fill with unshed tears as her lower lip quivered like a naked mole rat feeling the piercing winter breeze for the first time, giving the clichéd 'kicked puppy,' 'clubbed seal,' 'scorched by fireworks cat,' etc., feel, "I'm sorry, did I do something bad?" Musubi said in a manner fitting the purple patch's description of a few lines past.

"You must strive to improve your speaking of and writing Japanese, just as you do with martial arts! A master isn't simply someone who can split a building in half with her little finger, it is a state of mind where everything you do is skillfully done!" Yume declared loudly as she clenched her right fist, the material of her glove tightening audibly.

Once Musubi showed up, Benitsubasa noticably tensed and had been essentially smoldering in place. She showed patience in hopes of waiting the noisy pair out, like one would a heavy storm. Unfortunately for her, their upcoming shenanigans would light the fuse to her powder keg.

"Of course! How could Musubi be so stupid?! Oh Yume!" #88 then dashed forward and embraced her mentor, to the secret delight of any male with a line of sight on the fan-service-y scene.

"Oh Musubi!"

"Yume!"

"Musubi!"

"Yu-!? Hey, where'd Benitsubasa go?" she asked as she pulled away from her embrace (and pressing of their breasts somewhat, to the still secret appreciation of a few guards as now they weren't mushed together as hard) with Yume a bit.

"She must've slipped away as we relished in the-"

~Pretty sure you guys can tell where that's going~

Audibly gritting teeth. The slapping of her boots upon the tile floor echoing louder than an executioner's footsteps down a stone hallway echoed. Visible veins upon the pink-haired spitfire's head and forearms. And most noticeably was how every guard acted. Imagine the guards' eyes emitted lasers, and not the lethal kind mind you. The kind you can see with smoke and trigger alarms in spy movies, AKA the kind management is too lazy to look up the name of. Their hypothetical laser eyes would pass over everything in sight, with the exception of a radius of approx. 40 centimetres around #105's position. In that strange, mobile sphere of influence there isn't a damn thing to see there, nothing at all.

All of the above describe an angry Benitsubasa's path of fury and bloodlust without lovely volunteers to help her deal with it and the kettle was whistling. Time to serve some tea (and for you dense motherfuckers, cryptic metaphor: Beni angry, Beni smash).

The door leading to the DS's training wing was opened (read: punched out of the way) to reveal Karasuba going through her sword forms as a light work-out. Of course, what justifies as a light work-out for the Black Sekirei is more like a human master swordsman trying his hardest to cut the very air around him while under the threat that should he fail to do so, every young man in his bloodline will be castrated with a dull spoon and every young woman sold to the highest bidder. So, as one could imagine, Karasuba's sword work was bloody fast, with the added effect of her doing everything in a relaxed manner to make it look cooler on top of it all.

Karasuba, already well used to an irritable (to say the least) Beni-hime joining her for a round or twenty (depending on how annoying Minaka was), didn't so much as twitch when she split half of a door, flying not at her but close enough in the general direction of her kodachi, in two by coincidence. She merely finished her kata and turned with a eye-closing smile as three parts of a door loudly caused havoc behind her, "Yo, Beni-hime. Minaka being his usual, sunny self again?" she asked lightly as she approached, sheathing her blade.

Benitsubasa checked her gloves then stretched lightly as she answered in unladylike grunts, "The usual. Saw Musubi."

Karasuba nodded sagely as she uttered an "Ah," in response. While she knew Benitsubasa wasn't a fan of her bubbly friend, she could care less as their relationship was their own. Wordlessly she headed over to where her black DS haori rested draped over a bench and reached into its pocket to procure a pack of spare hairbands. She tied the elastics around the loops on her sheath and her blade's crossguard on either side and gave it a few strong test swings. After feeling satisfied she won't draw unintentionally, she got into her ready position and her eye-closing smile widened, "Ready?" she asked her younger protegé.

Another grunt and raised fists were the starting bell to round #undefined. A low yet lightning quick dash forward with her guard raised was the Crimson Sekirei's opening move as Karasuba maintained position patiently with a relaxed looking stance. Benitsubasa was wise to the fact the posture was relaxed merely in appearance and side-stepped the sharp down slash then was forced to jump the low horizontal swing and had to crossblock the upper, all while measuring her odds of any counter attack succeeding.

Simply put, Beni-hime had no viable options and tried to step in to extremely close range but stopped to dodge a low stomp to the shin/foot which then transitioned into a lunge, clipping the back of her reflexive deflecting left and was made to charge in the opposite direction (AKA retreat). Karasuba didn't follow through, although her smile maybe widened by a hair. She merely turned and faced Benitsubasa with the same stance she started with, hardly moving from her starting position.

Benitsubasa, contrary to popular belief, is not frustrated anymore. If anything, one would describe her mind state as one-destination mind, not to be confused with one-track; she is running over every plan she can conceive that stops short of causing moderate structural damage to at least force Karasuba to really dodge and not be completely on the defensive as opposed to blindly rushing in like a one-track mind would.

Having come up with something, this time she tried side-dashing her way in, approaching gradually and mixing up her speed too, in an attempt to force a mis-read from her single number opponent.

After not seeing an opening again, she stopped her circling of #04 and made the same dash as last time, except she cocked back her right in advance, jumped into and called out her attack, "Shredder!" she growled it out as Karasuba accepted the challenge and her sheathed blade clashed with the not-R*s*ng*n. A few more seconds of stalemate and Benitsubasa noticed her swirl of energy beginning to lose ground. Knowing it was only a matter of time, she made a bold move by releasing the remainder of the energy used to form her attack, causing a concussive force that displaced both fighters away from each other. Benitsubasa agilely flipped with the force pulse as Karasuba skidded away, as #105 had lept with her attack to gain high ground. The Crimson Sekirei grinned gleefully at the skidmarks on the floor, signifying her sempai's forced movement.

Step one down, now to catch her off guard.

Karasuba's smile turned into a savage grin as she decided to reward her kouhai's success by going on the offensive. With enough speed to make one question whether the black blur they just saw really was just there, she dashed forward with her weapon raised high. With mercurial swordplay, Karasuba's blade danced around the now forced to turtle Benitsubasa. Most blows were deflected when possible, blocked when not although a lunge to the stomach here, a diagonal slash to the shoulder there would slip through and things were going downhill for the Crimson Sekirei quickly, forcing her to act now or be chipped down.

It was as a upward slash that got crossblocked threw her skyward did she decide to bring in the unsung third combatant of any duel to the fray: The enviornment. Utilizing her unplanned flight to her advantage, she ripped one of the dangling light fixtures off and used the ceiling as her springboard. She threw the light fixture towards her opponent with blazing ferocity as she flew back to Karasuba with a vengeance, fists held at the ready.

Despite the Black Sekirei's sizeable weapon and great strength, Beni-hime's powerful thrown weapon threw off her follow-up swing due to the necessary block the now shattered light forced from of her and for the first time made her unable to respond quickly enough to #105's approach and signalled the beginning of a barrage of blows to be traded between both duelists. Left jabs, right crosses, various elbow and knees along, with legsweeps and headkicks mixed in flew almost as a single salvo from Benitsubasa, aiming for whatever area was closest and moderately important enough to do decent damage to.

Karasuba's own jabs, kicks, plus her bread and butter slashes in all directions answered as well as they could. After the first attempt at a kick and a punch each, #04 stopped trying them entirely. Despite her single number advantage, true close-quarters combat was her pink-haired adversary's domain, and it showed: At worst, Benitsubasa wouldn't even slow down batting away or dodging the attempted strikes, at best it would force an unwanted sway. Naturally, Karasuba wised up and kept to pure swordplay.

The Black Sekirei's speed, unbelievable battle instinct and experience advantage saved her from taking any blow full-on, usually by deflecting them into the walls, floor and various pieces of exercise equipment but Benitsubasa's vicious pace and gargantuan strength kept #04 on the receiving end for the most part. Even worse, the rare blow that needed to be blocked had to be done two-handed. Regardless of that, each strike rattled her down to her toes and taking any solid hit would definitely make this bout a lot harder.

Being on the defensive isn't an enjoyable sensation in Karasuba's books but the fact #04 could still manage to throw an attack in every now and then (even if it was dodged and the area around the warring pair paid the price) and the on-the-ropes feeling still a fresh enough sensation that it carries a sense of novelty allowed the following to happen.

A chopping right smash was dodged by a sway, obliterating yet another unfortunate chunk of floor which was followed by a left cross deflected by Karasuba's kodachi, led up to a leg-sweep that was jumped ov-holy shit, it hit.

The last paragraph's final four words would be an accurate guess as to what ran through Benitsubasa's mind in that moment, the sheer surprise pulling her out of the time-defying, expectation shaking state of mind known simply as The Zone slightly. The momentary shock may or may not have changed the outcome of this duel.

Another swirl of energy formed within Benitsubasa's right palm as Karasuba's own surprise at being leg-sweeped kept her down longer than needed, which in turn allowed the not-R*s*ng*n to graze her midriff. And when a rapidly rotating sphere of energy, aptly named after a certain quartet of turtles' greatest enemy grazes a person, it tends to leave a mark. Mainly, on what remains of the clothes covering the grazed area. A gaping hole was made on Karasuba's top, completely exposing her navel and part of her brassierre as said navel also got treated to what the equivalent of a cartoony cloud filled with fighting cats would do to flesh with their claws.

Ignoring the shock of being struck, #04 showed no mercy in her counter-attack, bruising and bloodying Benitsubasa all around the room with relative ease, making a big ol' mess of things, even going so far as to finish with another launching upward slash into a chopping diagonal to cannon blast a currently mid-air bench press into an aerial Benitsubasa. The Crimson Sekirei had enough energy left to bat the hunk of metal into the ceiling but the force it struck her ungrounded form with still launched her into the floor with enough momentum to make yet another building-shaking crater.

~My story's biggest fight scene is a spar (so far) and I hope it was up to par~

Yume and Musubi had enough of unintentionally giving fanservice scenes to as much of the MBI staff as they possibly could and decided it was time for their favourite pastime (besides eating): Training. As they walked through the open passage that signified Benitsubasa's whereabouts, they found Karasuba with a circular tear through the top of her uniform, revealing her scratched and chiseled belly for all to see. "Yo, Yuu-chan, Muu-chan. Sorry about the mess," she said lightly with her signature smile in full force as she turned with the possibly related pair to survey the damage. A benchpress was slammed through the ceiling, as the bar dangled dangerously a ways from it, as the weights on one side had slammed onto the floor underneath while the other side's load remains to be seen. Fluorescent lights also comically hung on one wire, spewing sparks occasionally, or were simply gone. The mirrors along the walls were mainly shattered to bits or missing entirely, accenting the very few completely untouched by the mass mayhem unleashed by the two DS members. Fist and bootmarks marked the area in droves, along with the rare sheath slash mark (imagine a regular slash, just a lot messier of a scar on the land and you get the idea). Benitsubasa herself was unseen, although one could guess she was in the larger of the few craters in the general center of the training area.

Sure enough, a groan announced her presence and up rose Benitsubasa in apparel and appearance to suit a kung-fu movie in its second half, her decency spared by her undergarments being kept out of sight by strategic slivers of her remaining kimono top and tights. Bruises covered her visible flesh like patchwork as blood caked her mouth, forearms and hair and yet, anyone who saw her wouldn't be quite sure how to describe her; she looked as if her entire bodice was treated as a popular batting cage's baseball for a day but the small smile on her face as her eyes occasionally glazed over as if staying conscious was a battle rivalling the one she was just in gave the impression she was content. Or concussed, it was hard to tell.

The Crimson Sekirei staggered her way out of the crater as the other three silently watched on with their own reactions: Musubi was starry-eyed and vibrating in place, no doubt fired up for her own sparring session with Yume. Yume couldn't keep the smile off her face even if she tried, regardless of the fact she'd be the one to placate Takami as she would no doubt have to deal with getting the room fixed. Again. Karasuba's own smile, unlike what some would believe, was genuine right then; there was something she found absolutely cathartic about a good old-fashioned scrap, where nothing but the fighters' pride was at stake, unlike the past when she fought to save her sisters-of-the-pod. Those bouts were too heavy to truly enjoy, but what happened just now, (and quite a few times before) with the pink-haired spitfire? That was fun.

"Walk it off, Beni-chan. Same time tomorrow?" she asked lightly, patting her roughly on the shoulder. If Benitsubasa was bothered by the blow-in-disguise, she did a stellar job not showing it and merely grinned with a nod to show her thoughts on the matter.

"You landed a good hit in, Beni-chan! Well done! I look forward to our own match later!" Yume declared with gusto. She was much gentler with her own pat, but not so much to imply pity.

Musubi did what Musubi did best (yes, even better than eating and spreading a glimpse of heaven everywhere): Express herself, "Wow, you hit Karasuba-sempai! I don't even come close when we spar! Let's spar later!" Musubi gushed. Benitsubasa grimaced lightly but was too worn out to really get worked up over Musubi being Musubi and merely took the compliment.

The Crimson Sekirei straightened up and went on her way with a slight limp but no one called her out on it in respect. Even Musubi kept her tongue in check, as Yume had been (despite her earlier showing) true to the mentor image she displays and had succeeded in instilling some idea of discretion through to #88.

The battered and bruised pink-haired brawler went around the corner and out of sight from the DS duo plus one. The façade couldn't remain forever, and it crumbled about twenty meters from the labs catered to the Sekirei. It was a weak showing #105 gave but the men and women working the labs knew better than to say anything; they merely waited for Benitsubasa to settle herself in and got to it.

Anesthetic was administered as they got to work sanitizing the crook of her left arm and then injected the Ex-Machina serum (name courtesy of Minaka). After the female members of the nerdy populace dressed the unconscious Sekirei in one of her many sets of clothes they had on hand (along with Musubi's bastardization of a Shinto shrine maiden get-up) for obvious reasons, they pulled the screens around the bed to show its occupied status and then went about their business.

Sekirei stamina plus the aptly named Ex-Machina serum make for a cocktail of ridiculous healing rate; the bruises marring the alabaster flesh of Benitsubasa eventually vanished at the rate of paint drying with a large, industrial fan blowing at it from a safe distance so as to not cause streaks, while also being just as fascinating to the naked eye.

It wasn't long until the Crimson Sekirei sat up abruptly, startling the orderly that just checked in on her. After rising with a leap, she checked herself for any remaining aches by stretching her lithe form. Satisfied with the results of a medical company's meds boosted with out-of-world tech and knowledge, she briskly walked out without a word to a soul as the various workers flowed around her like a river with a sizeable stone jutting out in the middle of it.

As fun as her afternoon was, it was time for the bane of her good moods to do what he was always meant to do.

~I admit it, I got lazy~

Out of Minaka's office stomped Benitsubasa, somewhat irritable. And to those who read through this story so far would be aware of management's penchant to understate things on occasion, so naturally she's livid. It's a vicious cycle the temporary heroine finds herself in, but all things in life tend to be caught on the rails of their own cycles so it can't really be helped.

Yume and Musubi had taken over the freshly repaired training room, in an attempt to teach #88 how to shoot lasers like #08 could. The Sekirei of Fate didn't quite have the heart to tell the Bear Sekirei it was impossible to teach that, but telling her such a thing would be like lighting a puppy on fire and kicking it 50+ yards for a field goal, but barely making it by hitting the inside of the post. And for the non-Americans, it's like lighting the puppy on fire again and doing a strike on said puppy from 50+ yards out and hitting the goalpost.

The one time Benitsubasa tried to train with (train with meaning being in the same room as and ignoring unless asked for a 'friendly spar') the pair, she found herself unconsciously grinding her teeth and destroying specially made punching bags in one blow as opposed to several due to watching #88 copy Yume's open palm thrusts, which in turn caused her soft mounds of flesh to make waves. Lots of waves. Naturally, breast envy kicked in, although Beni-hime would rather chug a keg of bleach while getting paper cuts in the gaps between her fingers and toes then dunk said appendages in a salt and lemon juice bath, all the while watching the most cringeworthy videos she could find online back to back before saying it out loud.

She stalked into her quarters, which unlike Yume and Karasuba's wasn't personalized to her taste, as she is still not officially a part of the DS. She kicked off her boots then flopped back-first on her bed and sighed. She then felt the need to reflect upon what has happened to her since the hasty decision to act as an enforcer. Did she enjoy being Minaka's gopher? Staying in a shared building with that bitch Haihane? Working under the irritating Yume? Seeing Musubi until she finally, finally gets released? She knew before the answer was undoubtedly yes, if only because it was all tolerable most of the time. Now? Now she was on the fence and it didn't sit well with her at all. Another sigh escaped her lips, deeper this time as she turned on her side, the Sandman's magic gradually working on her. Her last thought was of what she would do if her DS spot was denied and was upset when no answer came to her. Needless to say, Beni-hime's sleep was wrought with unsettling dreams.

~This scene will break, like all before it~

A swirling breeze caressed a pair of ankles covered by purple heel straps, as an anklet on the right side with a mysteriously silent bell, the silver surface reflecting the setting sun. The right foot rotates clockwise a bit as a rich, feminine tenor voice speaks to herself, "Is this the place...? It matches Miya's description, but..." Now said foot rotates back and forth, as the person said foot is undoubtedly attached to hems and haws before deciding the house looks nice enough to have good booze in it somewhere; she'd at least get something to drink for her efforts.

She danced around the rooftops surrounding the premises, searching for an easy way in. Her sharp eyes caught the second floor balcony door open just a crack and moves in. With nary a sound, the door slides open as if floating on clouds. High-heeled feet strutted towards the sounds of a pair of feminine voices conversing.

Just outside the also cracked door that said voices were speaking from, Kazehana, #03, The Drunkard, Wind Flower and Sekirei of the Wind overheard some juicy talk.

"-and we had just got out of the theater in a rush, since the movie ended soon after we started getting frisky. There was a park closeby so Hana-tan led us as deep into the trees as we could find-"

Kazehana gripped the ever-present bottle of sake with both hands tightly.

"-Hana-tan's tongue did things my fingers never could-"

Redder and redder did #03's face turn as she panted for breath.

"-finally Hana-tan stood up and-"

"O~h, he ravaged you then and there, didn't he Matsu? Iya~n, what a amourous and daring Ashikabi you ha~ve!" Kazehana, being the love freak she is, couldn't contain herself any longer and burst into the room, making her love-love guess as to what happened, completely forgetting the fact she broke into their home.

The reactions of both of Hanatarou's Sekirei were as different as a rainforest is to a desert-dweller when the inevitable comparison between enviornments happens. Uzume rose quickly and looked ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat while Matsu seemed to expect the unexpected visitor, "The fuck? Who the hell are ya?" Uzume wasted no time asking, as many veils as she could summon at short notice at her back like the many arms of Vishnu.

"It's ok Uzu-tan. Kaze-tan won't cause trouble, unless she gets really thirsty. Then Kami have mercy on whatever liquor Hana-tan has lying around," Matsu explained to the youngest feather in the room.

"Don't worry about me, honey~! I'm just a wandering drunkard here to visit an old comrade," added on said drunkard with a sly smile, alcohol colouring her cheeks with a healthy rosy tint, tipping the soon to be empty bottle of pilfered sake from Miya's own stash to her welcoming lips.

"Still, she walks in like she owns the place! Kinda offended on principle, ya know?" #10 remained vigilant.

Kazehana lazily regarded her younger kin, obviously pondering her next move. She suddenly turned to Matsu and asked, "Mind fetching me some glasses Matsu? Looks like a peace offering would smooth things over."

The Sekirei of Wisdom raised an eyebrow, "Alcohol being the magical peace offering? Kaze-tan, Matsu hates to say it, but maybe alcohol isn't the answer to everything?"

Kazehana scoffed lightly as she waved her hand dismissively at the brain-type, "Oh please Matsu, just humour me. Besides, I want to share a drink with you too."

Uzume was about to interject but a voice both her and #02 know like the spot between their shoulder blades called out from the entrance, "Tadaima!"

Kazehana smiled widely at her old teammate while said teammate looked a little conflicted. Uzume however, was being rather responsible and had flown down the stairs and greeted her Ashikabi with her back, having taken a defensive stance facing the stairs.

Hanatarou, easily noticing her veils on display and tense posture made the assumption there was someone hostile in the house, "How many?" he whispered as he grabbed Uzume's cheeks to turn her face towards him for a very quick kiss.

"Just me, Ashikabi-kun. And you can rest assured, I mean no harm," called Kazahana down the stairs as she walked into view at the base of the stairs, with Matsu behind her looking apologetic.

"Gomen, Hana-tan. It's a surprise visit from one of Matsu's old comrades, Hana-tan can trust her word. And when Matsu says surprise visit, Matsu means it. Kaze-tan had the drop on Uzu-tan when she decided to spoil the surprise in typical Kaze-tan fashion," #02 explained.

"So if she meant harm, she had her golden opportunity," Hanatarou connected the dots, nodded his acceptance of the fact and laid a hand on Uzume's shoulder, the stand-down evident in his look.

Uzume however, had another reason to be offended now, "Et tu, Matsu?! Ya let her get the drop on me when ya coulda warned a sista? The fuck!?"

At this, Matsu looked very sheepish, "To be honest, Kaze-tan surprised Matsu too. Matsu wasn't facing her monitors and was distracted by the story enough to not keep tabs mentally. Matsu is ashamed at her lack of awareness," she knuckled her temple in penance as she admitted her faults.

Uzume was deflating, as she couldn't blame #02 for missing something she did, but couldn't help the parting shot, "Wa~it, why didn't you react to her then?"

"Back in the S Plan Guardian days, Kaze-tan kind of went where she pleased, and more often than not with no one the wiser. None can cage the Wind Flower," #02 further explained.

To emphasize Matsu's point, Kazehana bent over and flicked the previously utterly quiet bell at her anklet, causing its tinkle to ring throughout the silent house. The message was clear.

Hanatarou whistled lowly, "Well, that is impressive."

Kazehana smiled a sultry smile as she hefted the largest bust known to Sekirei-kind, "Why, thank yo~u!"

Hanatarou then shook his head, "Not what I was referring to," he felt the need to explain.

Kazehana giggled, "Of course not."

"Well, I know your name, but you don't know mine. Hanatarou Tanaka," the now officially retired stockbroker kept his intro simple and he bowed a cool business fashion. "Might I offer you a drink? Perhaps some scotch or bourbon?" the last question he quickly tacked on as Kazehana had looked mournfully at her now empty sake bottle.

"No sake?" #03 felt compelled to ask.

"Some sake, but I find variety to be the spice of life so I offered the whiskeys first," he admitted. "Tell me how you'll like it once you think on it as I ask my two beautiful ladies," he added as he turned to Uzume who was closer.

Her face was neutral at first but brightened at the prospect of alcohol; it wasn't as if Hanatarou was a stiff about drinking, he just limited it to once a week and if she were being entirely honest, she had a mild fondness for liquor. "Skyë on ice please!"

"Same for Matsu please!"

"Check, check. As for you?" Hanatarou aimed his inquiry towards the guest.

Kazehana had a finger to her lips as she jutted out her hips in a thinking pose before deciding, "Surprise me, Ashikabi-kun."

"Oh-hoh! My choice eh? Alright then," he said with a smirk. He bounded over to his chilled liquor cabinet in the living room. He grabbed a vinyl in its sleeve as an impromptu serving tray and loaded a long pair of glasses with iced Skyë's and a long and short of the drink he chose for himself and #03.

"Come sit in the living room, we can talk there," he called to the three Sekirei, as he needed to refill his already empty glass.

He turned after he finished topping himself off and served the drinks swiftly. His Sekirei thanked him sweetly as he set his long glass down next to Matsu's and the short one in front of his guest, a size difference she noticed, "C'mon now, I can't look like that much of a lightweight?" Kazehana joked lightly.

"You don't!" The host half-shouted from the kitchen as he was audibly looking for something, "Two reasons for the small glass: One, my drink is identical so it's to prevent us mixing glasses. Two, incase you didn't like your drink, I'd finish off what's left and you get served sake as soon as I...Ah!" Hanatarou exclaimed lightly, signalling the end of his search. He emerged from the kitchen with a metal container holding a variety of nuts to act as their drinking snack.

Uzume noted his heavier than normal alcohol consumption, "Goin' hard on the bottle, bro?" she asked, curiosity evident in her tone.

Hanatarou nodded in confirmation, "Hell yeah! I'm officially retired now!" he rose his glass in toast, which the three beautiful ladies joined him in.

"Is that right? A young guy like you, maybe you meant 'fired?'" Kazehana teased, earning a scowl from Uzume and a frown from Matsu.

"Well, that's a natural train of thought, all things considered." Hanatarou commented on her reasoning while also noting four already empty glass before standing and saying, "I can assure you though, I did not misspeak. Let me get that sake now, I want some now that you brought it up," He then walked to the back quickly while Matsu took this time to ask where her former comrade had been in her travels. By the time Hanatarou returned, Kazehana had mentioned a total of seven locations (leaving off on Dubai), enrapturing Matsu and even catching Uzume's attention (despite her lingering distrust of #03), as travel would naturally be interesting to those who've been shut-in against their will. The grass is greener on the other side, after all. One of a more scientific mind could theorize it also falls in with the avian history in their bloodline, like a watered down version of migration; a wanderlust, if you will.

Incoming redundancy: Hanatarou returned holding a dusty, dark green, large bottle with a label so old and crumpled almost the entire remnant of paper was utterly ineligible and in contrast a four units high stack of plain ceramic masus. "Not gonna lie, this is my second to last bottle of this stuff. But fuck it, what better time to enjoy some?" He started with a hint of sadness, then shook it off with a grin and got to serving the four of them.

Matsu raised her glass, the amazing metabolism of a Sekirei keeping her (and Uzume, nevermind Kazehana's grizzled veteran of a liver) on the level and so welcomed more drink, "What do we toast to this time, Hana-tan?"

"Whatever the individual drinker wishes to toast to, if anything. Personally, I'm just going to enjoy the sake," he said matter-of-factly.

"To ecchi!" The Sekirei of Wisdom lived up to her title's alternate reading in Japanese.

"To retirement!" Was Uzume's, undoubtedly thinking along Matsu's train of thoughts.

Kazehana had downed the sake like a champ and her eyes widened as she raised a hand to her lips, "To this sake! This is wonderful stuff!" Without further ado, the Sekirei of Wind wrapped her mits around the neck of the bottle and moved to do her famous killing move.

Suddenly Kazehana noticed the bottle froze before reaching its planned destination. "Hey now, I'm going to have to ask you to stop that, honoured guest," Hanatarou held the base of the bottle, leaning from his seat, "I don't mind sharing but that's going to inconvenience others," he said.

"If you're as well off as you seem, what's one bottle of liquor, hm~m?" Kazehana tried that pout thing guys tend to fall for hook, line and sinker. Men (and women, although in this day and age it should go without saying. However management feels we should 'cover our asses before we get told to check our privledge') everywhere would still have their dignity, should they have fallen for the Wind Flower's wiles though; literal otherworldly beauty is one helluva thing to see for most guys, nevermind how she dresses, naturally flirts, the beyond Goddess-like body (Q**k*'s announcer saying "HOLY SHIT-Shit-shit!" still applies) and husky and seductive voice she has.

"Normally you'd be right, except this bottle is to be shared amongst us all. Now stop being greedy or I'm going to have to slap you on the wrist like a naughty child," he admonished his guest with a wagging finger.

A part of her wondered where he got the balls to treat her, #03, in such a manner, but the other part of her couldn't help but find it very amusing. She blames the alcohol.

A rather unladylike snort was the starting line for a lengthy burst of unbridled laughter from the Wind Flower, as she couldn't contain herself even if she wanted to. Uzume had risen up in order to defend what she saw as a mockery of her Ashikabi but was withheld by his raised hand and muttering of, "Let her get it out of her system," as he used the time granted by the fit of mirth to refill the saucers around him repeatedly.

It wasn't until Hanatarou had almost finished the bottle amongst the three not laughing did Kazehana eventually stop giggling. "Matsu, where the hell did you find this guy?" #03 couldn't help but ask her comrade.

Hanatarou snorted behind his final sake saucer as Matsu answered, "Matsu's heart led Matsu to Hana-tan and that's all there is to say on the matter," she said with a mysterious smile.

"One thing I don't get though. He has actually avoided eye-fucking me almost entirely," Kazehana caught the mild raising of the present Ashikabi's eyebrow, "Yeah I caught that look as I came down the stairs," she winked saucily after having dropped all pretenses of subtly, "Women are sensitive to those kinds of looks, you kno~w?"

Hanatarou sighed lightly, "I guess we'll pretend you don't have hyper sensitive senses compared to the previous race I'd gaze at. Damn, gonna have to change my technique," he bemoaned with a small frown before smirking, "Oh well, I always did enjoy a challenge."

"Is this going to be a running gag?" Matsu wonders aloud, although no one seems to hear.

"Well, the explanation is simple. As utterly crazy as it sounds, I don't think with my dick. Ask my ladies here how long it took me to pop their cherries. Well, Uzume's. Who knows which dildo got Matsu's," he expositioned with a half-shrug.

"Oh that's easy. The one Matsu ordered from Good Wyvern. Cornelius has just the right curve to it, how could Matsu not?" #02 explained matter-of-factly.

"Is this true Uzume? Did he really wait?" Kazehana found the idea of a guy not humping everything that stands on two legs with a uterus astounding. Understandable somewhat, considering the reactions her bodice would always entice.

"Unfortunately. Had ta get myself off daily with fingers and a few rotors. Had ta wash the sheets daily too, although Hanatarou found out regardless," #10 admitted freely.

"Wow. Surprising," the Drunk said before she could stop herself.

"Kami forbid guys remember their first, bigger head gives them better ideas nearly all the time, right?" Hanatarou said lazily, as the drink started hitting him harder, despite his own trained liver.

Kazehana shook her head, "No, no, I mean you actually held off on ravaging your feathers. Why if you don't mind me asking?" It just so happens both of his feathers leaned forward slightly in anticipation of his answer.

Hanatarou rested his chin on his hands as he wiggled his interlocked fingers, taking a moment to gather his inebriated thoughts, "Long story short, initially I felt I would take advantage of them. What it developed into then was a real selfish fear. I see that now," he admits.

Kazehana wasn't expecting the conversation to head in this direction and was as attentive as one could be while still taking occasional pot-shots at the sake bottle, which Hanatarou moved out of the way 'just in time' everytime. However, Uzume would be the one to ask the obvious question, "What were ya afraid of?"

"Me. I saw a pair of angels willing to let me rest my head upon their pleasant bosoms and feared if I fell to the temptation, I'd never want to raise my head like W*b*s*k*. I'd stop going to work, although I wound up stopping anyway. Funny how that worked out!" He couldn't stop a wry chuckle from escaping him before continuing, "I'd stop keeping up with my portfolio, I'd even stop playing piano. I'd just spend the rest of my days balls deep in them and let the world go fuck itself for all I care. Apathy purely for the sake of mindless self-indulgence."

"Did you really think you'd go so far? Do you have no faith in your own willpower?" Glassesless Matsu once again shows her ability to show up and remind people, despite the usual silly speech mannerisms, despite her unholy love for everything H-related, there's a super computer of a brain ready to run a million kilometers a nanosecond.

"Yes. It was unfair of me to hold off for such a reason; if I stopped myself at every 'but what if' I thought up before-hand, chances are none of you would've met me and I would've stuck with the gang of my mom's pimp, along with several of my siblings. Granted, they're successful in their own right but I'd never truly retire from that life. But I digress."

"You were in a gang? Like the yakuza?" Kazehana queried.

"Somewhat. Los Angeles del Don Ricardo (Don Ricardo's Angels) started off as a flesh for cash business. And not the other kinds." Hanatarou explained.

"Define 'flesh for cash,' and 'the other kinds,'" Matsu requested.

"Prostitution, human trafficking and assassination, in that order." He answered in a short manner.

"You were raised in a whorehouse?" Kazehana asked, distaste painting both her tone and features.

"Yup. I'm a son of a bitch," the whoreson accountant said with an easy-going, lopsided grin before figuratively sobering up, although the drink made itself known in his speech patterns, "Not as bad a place as you're imaginin', I think. Big R was a fair man and he kept a few kids 'round, myself included. We were warned as to what his work would entail, at least. Plus if we didn' want to fuck or be dumb muscle for a livin', the town an hour's walk away could always use more croppickers."

"Did ya-um..." Uzume got out that much before trailing off.

"What, partake of our product? Nah, even though we did get a small discount," he dismissed their concern, "Figured it be a little odd to bone my ma's workmates. Didn' stop most of my brothers though, crazy bastids."

"What made your gang different than the yakuza?" Matsu felt inclined to ask.

"Well, we didn't do huge drug shipments often enough to be a big name. Weapons were mostly small-key also. No shuffling of people or murderers for hire like I said. We just tried to keep to ourselves and had women mainly."

"Doesn't sound like a very successful organization," #02 observed.

"Were we multi-trillionaires, with villas like Sc*rf*c*? No, but we kept our noses as clean as possible from gang wars and the police and military didn't fuck with us as long as the higher ups got to bust a few nuts for free from time to time. In a country that's no stranger to gunfights in the streets over territory, we weren't as soaked in blood as everyone else. Quite a few of our guys always thought it made us look weak but it worked out for a while."

"Ya made it sound like it stopped workin'," Uzume couldn't help but notice.

Hanatarou sighed before answering, "That's because it did. Big R got whacked by 'nother gang, one of my bros took over. He's a bit more ruthless than the old man, puttin' it gently."

"Is that why you left?" Matsu asked.

"No, I left 'fore then. My eldest bro Guillermo left earlier than I did but he kept better tabs on 'em. He brought the news to me when he last came by." It was at this point he blinked, "Oi, I started drinkin' to have a good time, not reminisce about the old days."

"Bittersweet memories?" Kazehana asked knowingly.

"Aren't they all?" Hanatarou quipped back.

She acknowledged his point with a minor shrug and nod, "Got me there."

Hanatarou scoffed after a moment or two of silence. He stood abruptly and, the remainder of a whiskey bottle at his lips the whole way, went up the stairs.

"Where ya goin'?" Uzume couldn't help but ask.

"To get the melancholy outta my system," he called back from the second floor after a clunk of glass on wood could be heard, signifying what happened to his bottle.

"O~h, this is going to be good," Matsu murmured with a smile and grabbed the tin for a showtime snack as she too ascended a floor along with her fellow feathers, #03 confused as to what was going on.

She found a room with what looked like Matsu's nest in one corner and a concert piano on the other side, while the sole Ashikabi sat upon its bench, popping his fingers and rotating his wrists with minute flourishes. She stood between Matsu and Uzume, who were seated in their chair and floor respectively.

A few bars of Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 is played then he suddenly struck a sour chord. "Nah, that's more for someone whose passing has left fresh wounds still. Right tone but the wrong style...I need something a little less raw and tragic, but more refined..." the oblivious to everything else pianist muttered to himself, although the Wagtails present heard him still.

"Ah! I got it," he called out after plinking out the Jeopardy theme.

"What are yo-" the Wind Flower got out before being cut off.

"Hold on, hold on! The magic's 'bout to happen," he shushed her absently as he pops his neck hands free in anticipation of said magic.

And what a show of figurative arcane prowess it was. He decided on a medley of F*r* *mbl*m songs, starting with the third verse of L*st *n Th**ghts, *ll *l*n*, which he even sang half-decently, although his low tenor voice was clearly untrained as the best he could do was stay in tune-ish (one could argue the alcohol threw his singing voice off, but the absurd cleanliness of his pianowork would contrast that theory). He then played Sk*rm*sh (Calm), intentionally slowing it down a tad and dragging out the chords a bit to sadden its tone some. He wrapped up with a different series, *ng*g* Th* *n*my. Naturally since every piece he played had multiple instruments, he did his best to fill in the parts as well as he could with only a pair of hands.

Once he finished, he was struck with a thought he's had since he was a teenager, barely scratching the surface of the piano: 'Why couldn't I be like G*r* or M*ch*mp, just with 4 fingers?'

He turned only to have his face buried in Glasses Matsu's cleavage, "O~h Hana-tan, don't be sa~d! As soon as Kaze-tan leaves, Matsu will cheer Hana-tan up, yes she will!"

"How, by making me lose several liters of fluids? Ah, it'll be like workin' the fields all over again, 'cept a lot more fun, a lot less tannin' and just as exhaustin'!" He said, voice muffled by Matsu's body.

Kazehana, despite the earlier cheer that came with getting drunk for free, found her good mood mostly gone due to the unpleasant memories brought forth by the admittedly talented performance she bore witness to. By the time Hanatarou had the precense of mind to cease #02's adventurous hands, demanding lips and gyrating hips before they made #03 a voyeur and inspired Uzume to join in, she was already gone. Mentally shrugging, he allowed himself to be dragged to bed, this time the threesome would not be denied.

~I bet you were expecting me to write it out too~

Homura is a man(?) of simple pleasures: He enjoys a good drink, a pack of cigarettes and a woman's warm embrace. None of this is relevant right now, as he is currently duelling with the ironically Water-based fireball of a Sekirei, #09 Tsukiumi. "Jaen! (Fire Snake)" Homura cries, making a blazing shape C*br* C*mm*nd*r would be proud of.

Tsukiumi wasted no time using her signature move in retaliation, "Mizu Matsuri! (Water Festival/Celebration)"

Elemental opposites clash, a bulbous cloud of steam forming and blanketing nearly the entire rooftop as a result.

"Hmph! Just as I would expect from my rival, your strength is comparable to mine!" (A/N: Yea-no. Not doin' ye olde English for Ms. Super Soaker herself. Had enough of that shit in uni) #09 declared with energy typical of a fighting Sekirei.

Homura didn't bother responding, as he was currently gritting his teeth in frustration. He flicked on the mike of his ear piece (which thankfully remained with him after the initial ambush. Not that he got hit or anything, it was a sloppy dodge on his part), "Uzume, are you close by the Northern part of town? I could use a hand here," he said curtly.

"Gimme three minutes," was her near immediate answer, followed by the very dull pop of her mike muting.

"Tracking Homu-tan's location...hm, just far enough from Miya-tan's to escape notice. What a devious foe you're up against Homu-tan," Matsu piped up, acting as dispatch.

"Devious is not the word I'd choose," #06 quipped. "Arrogant, hot-headed, a pervert-"

"MIZU MATSURI!" yelled the wonderfully complimented Tsukiumi. Homura was sharp in his deflective burst of fire but apparently her anger fueled her power, as he was struck with a boiling remnant of the ability. The flash-heated water itself didn't bother him, as heat of any kind doesn't really affect him (except for extremes, such as magma or the sun) but it was the principle of the idea that rocked him: He got hit.

The wind gusted hard, clearing the steam regardless of the double emission. The Water Sekirei's hair billowed around her as droplets of sizes varying from pebbles to those seedless watermelons that are kind of small but bigger than grapefruits orbited most of the rooftop as her clothes mimicked her hair. Homura sighed lightly as she vented her anger in a self-righteous manner that if #06 bothered paying attention to it, he would've found it to be an amusing and eloquent string of insults and the like. But there was just such a huge distraction and so...

"Hm? Did you say something?" Homura asked cheerily with an eye-smile, "You were flashing your panties the entire speech, didn't really hear you over that."

Imagine an angry kitten. Adorable how it hisses and raises its hackles like it is intimidating right? Kinda makes one want to go, "D'aww." Now imagine a lioness whom caught someone/thing messing with her cub(s). The comparison between those two would be an accurate mental image for a before and after featuring Tsukiumi's unyielding rage.

"Y-you shameless beast! Suiryuu! (Water Dragon)" Both caster and creation roared, one with words, the other with a wordless roar one would expect of a creature of fantasy. The liquid dragon kept its fearsome maw open as it lunged and crashed face-first onto the floor.

Homura, whose power was strained due to his unstable nature, didn't (or couldn't but wouldn't admit it, depends on who one would ask) let this battle devolve into a power pissing contest and dove off the building, avoiding the attack entirely. Due to his extremely close timing, Tsukiumi from her point of view believed her attack struck and forced him off the rooftop. "Serves the lecher right," #09 huffed as she spun and made off to gaze at the city from a rooftop or whatever the hell she does off-screen.

It was unfortunate Homura dove off so sharply, as only the cold, unforgiving pavement was available to catch him...

Until a woven square of silk embraced and halted his fall. Uzume swore under her breath as she noticed her veils caught fire and detached them from her to save herself a few burns, "Oi Homura, ya can tone the heat down now, I think whoever was after ya left now!" She called to her senior Guardian.

"Sorry about that. I'll cool off after a bit, it's a gradual thing," #06 lied smoothly.

Uzume chuckled lightly, "Well then, no high five for ya until ya get iced down a bit. Good dive by the way, I give ya a ten for effort but a two for the landing."

The Sekirei of Flame scowled, "You didn't let me land, you caught me."

"In that case, ya should be glad ya even got any points!" #10 sassed back with a wink.

Homura grumbled under his breath as he reached for a cigarette within his jacket, the pack damp enough not to immediately catch fire as he pulled a dry enough faggot to light out with his teeth, his speech surprisingly unmuddled, "Be careful with that one, Uzume. She's a real hot-head and that's coming from me," he accented his point by snapping his fingers for a flame to actually light said cancerstick.

The Veiled Sekirei scoffed, "What's she gonna do, do the sprinkler on me?" She imitated the heavily outdated dance move and laughed.

The corners of Homura's lips curved upwards, as he was reminded why he missed Uzume at Maison Izumo. She was and still is a riot. Being a jokester however, didn't let the reality of the situation not be...well, real, "Not kidding Uzume. She's got enough fight in her for me to call for back-up. If she comes at you guns blazing, be ready for a real scrap, not like that stomp you dished on Yashima. Stay alert," Homura warned his partner, using the time to allow his body to recover.

"Yessir!" She said mockingly, two-fingered salute and poorly imitated standing at attention stance and all.

Homura relented on his attempt to sober up #10 and rolled his eyes at her antics, "Thanks for the save by the way."

Uzume grinned, "I gotcha."

~Sing with me a song of scenes and breaks~

Kazehana, after further drinking herself into a stupor, returned to Maison Izumo on surprisingly steady feet. Her earlier somber mood wore off, or rather was numbed to submission, depending on one's perspective. Miya, being Miya, was at the door 'sweeping' and looked up to welcome a returning tenant, "Welcome back Drunk. Did you bring a replacement bottle of sake for the one you stole from your gracious host?" #01 asked lightly with a smile, in direct contrast with the manifestation of her ill-will behind her, being all creepy and shit.

The Wind Flower found herself a lot more sober out of fear and nodded quickly while raising a bag with not one, not two but three bottles of her preferred alcoholic beverage.

The Hannya faded away as Miya's smile widened, "Good! Unfortunately you missed dinner so you'll have to make due with reheated leftovers. I'll get it ready for you."

Kazehana flashed a genuine smile at her former captain, "Thanks, Miya-chan. Bath is warm right? I think I'll head in for a dip."

"A moment, Kazehana," The Hannya of the North held up #03. "How are Matsu and Uzume? Their Ashikabi has treated them well, I hope?"

The Sekirei of the Wind tilted her head in thought before answering, "Uzume is definitely happy. Quite defensive of him too, she didn't like my crack about Tanaka-san being fired as opposed to retired. Matsu as well, possibly not as much though. While not as defensive, she didn't like my line either. Plus after Tanaka-san played the piano to 'get the melancholy outta his system,' Matsu was the first to try and comfort him the only way she knows how," she finished explaining, grabbing a bottle from the bag and popping its top.

Miya nodded absently, as if what was said confirmed her beliefs, "I see. What did you think of Tanaka-san?"

Kazehana wasn't keen on giving her personal opinion of him, as she has yet to really form one but when Miya asks for something, she doesn't really ask. "He's a pretty easy-going guy, plus he can hold his liquor, for a human." Miya almost let out an unlady-like snort; figures Kazehana would know such a thing, "Tougher than he looks too, if what he told me about his background was true. I feel he's smarter than he acts as well, if how he held himself while drunk is any hint. Why do you ask?"

A mysterious smile graces the beautiful face of #00/01 before answering, "Matsu told me of his strategy for the Sekirei Plan. He wants to set my feathers free."

Kazehana's eyes widened at hearing that, "Do you think he'd-"

"He is the most likely candidate. Who knows what will happen down the road though? Power corrupts; he may wind up being another Minaka," Miya answered quickly, sighing at the grim thought before continuing, "Make sure to visit every now and then. Matsu isn't afraid to give me her piece, but another opinion would be nice."

Kazehana had no problem agreeing; free booze, a show and potential girl-talk? How could she say no?

A/N: Ok, ok, I know I said I'd have Kaho by Chap. 8, but I feel this was a much better ending point, as opposed to approx. 22k words later. Don't fret my readers, it's mostly done already, just gotta edit, proofread and finish writing a middle segment. I don't really see any obvious concerns you folks would call me out on, so I'll keep this shorter than usual. Another story will be posted sometime in the next two weeks; note that I said story, not chapter. Anyway, enough outta me, B. Suarez, signing off.


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